Echoes
by Mickey Sixx
Summary: [MickeyDanny][Slash] The future will echo the past, and Mickey has no idea. Will History repeat itself or will things turn out differently this time around? [CHAPTER 11 REPOSTED!]
1. Chapter 1

_Edited: 27/03/2007_

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****Rating:**

FRT – FRAO  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 3,277  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev. 

**Author's Note:** For all you people who didn't know, Sylum is a world of Vampires, Mischief and Mayhem created by the wonderful Bev (link on my profile). It all started with the death of a Character in CSI:Miami, Timothy 'Speed' Speedle. She wrote a fic detailing the events after what happened, and made him into a Vampire. That way, he couldn't die. That fic spawned many other, and now Sylum Clan is a universe that contains many differed Fandoms, including all the CSI's, NCIS, Blade, 24, Bourne Idendity/Supremecy... the list goes on. If you want to take a look at what I'm on about, then go to Sylum Clan (link on my profile). It's password protected, but if you follow the instructions on the webpage, you can get the password.

What's this got to with Hustle? Well, I introduced Hustle into Sylum, and this is the Fic I'm writing. Mickey and Albert are Vampires, and that's all you need to know. (grins) Read on for further explainations D

**Summary:** The future will echo the past, and Mickey has no idea. Will History repeat itself or will things turn out differently this time around?

//... // - Memories, the past.

* * *

**Part 1**

Mickey Stone leant on the balcony and looked out on to the London skyline. He had seen the city from so many different angles, so many different hotel rooms, but it was still the same city. It would always be London, and to Mickey, London would always be home. It didn't matter where he put his head down at night, be it a hotel room or a dark dank ally way, the city of London was, and will continue to be the place he came back to.

He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. Everything was so complicated now. Things had happened that shouldn't have happened, and everything was getting harder for Mickey to cope with. It seemed as though everyone was counting on Mickey to get things right and make everything perfect. Granted, most of the time, he did get it right, but Mickey 'Bricks' can't last forever, no matter how much people what it to.

"Michael?"

Mickey turned around to see Albert stood in the open doorway to the balcony. The older man looked concerned, the crease in his brow and his posture told him that much.

"I'll be in in a minute, Albert," he said to the other man. Albert nodded, and he stared hard at Mickey for a moment before turning back inside and sliding the door closed behind him.

Albert Stroller had been nothing but kind to Mickey since day one. He was the one who took Mickey under his wing when no-one would even give him a second chance. He was an important man in Mickey's life; acting as the father figure he had craved since his own passed away. Albert had been the one to introduce him to the art of the Con.

Mickey smiled. The con was his life; he had never regretted his decision to give up everything he knew to take the path that Albert had shown him. He was glad he did it, or he wouldn't be where he was today; the leader of a crew that contained the best con artists in London. In the whole of the UK, he was willing to bet. Although he might not say it sometimes, but he was so proud of them, of what they have achieved over the year and a half they had been together. Each of them had their own talent and their own roles to play, and they played the con like they were born to do it. There was a bond between the five of them that connected them, almost like the family each of them were searching for.

Stacie Monroe was the Lure. She would play the eye-candy for the male Marks; be the incentive to play their little game. Using her silky brown eyes and perfect figure to get what she wanted, she was a vital member of the team. But underneath the airhead façade is a very intelligent woman, sharp and witty; a woman that can cope with any situation. But away from the game she was a different person. Still quick, but she managed to let go of the Con and felt comfortable with being herself around them. She was always there for Mickey whenever he needed her. Everyone thought that they had been romantically involved, and they both let them think it. In truth, they hadn't been in a relationship, nor would they consider it now.

Ash Morgan was the Fixer; the technological and practical brain of the operation. Ash would find the locations and accommodations for the set up of the scams, doing all the initial groundwork and preparing the props needed for each Con. Ash was somewhat of an enigma. He had a very shady past, one he wasn't keen on sharing, and everyone was fine with that. But over the past few years, Ash opened up little by little, to the point where he revealed to the team that his ex-wife, June, was in a care home. She had been seriously injured while doing a short con, The Flop. She had suffered severe Brain damage, and Ash had been paying her care bills. But, his money had run out, and he had to ask Mickey for help. Mickey had of course agreed to help, she was family after all.

Albert Stroller was the Roper; the one who identified the Mark and gained their confidence. His job was to find their next target, usually the wealthy and the greedy. He usually played the part of ex-service man, or retired banker to befriend their mark.

And then there was Danny Blue; the Wild Card. He was the newest recruit, but over the time they had been working together as a team, Mickey had seen the great potential there. Truth was that Danny Blue had grown on him, with his always trying to impress attitude. Mickey had the feeling that he was trying to live up to his standards. He played the inside man along with Mickey. Albert guided the mark towards them, and they played the con to relieve them of their money.

But Danny was much more than that. Mickey's smile slipped slightly as he wandered in his thoughts. When Danny turned up at the hotel that day, Mickey was...surprised, to say the least. _Surprised doesn't cover it,_ he thought.

_//The knock on the door had startled them and they looked at each other in confusion. They weren't expecting anyone. Silently, they started clearing away all the stuff that was lying around, just in case it was the mark behind the door. Mickey gave the nod to the group and they made themselves scarce while Mickey went to the door. _

_When Mickey opened the door and saw who was on the other side, he lost the ability to speak. Everything froze; time just seemed to stand still, and Mickey just stared in shock at the young man. The slightly scruffy blonde hair was long, but not too long, and the intense and expressive baby blue eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul stared at him from the other side of the doorway. Mickey's mind was still for a second before it exploded with questions._ **_What is he doing here? How did he get here? How did he find me? My god! He hasn't changed a bit._**

_And then time started back up again. Mickey blanked his face and made sure not to give off any emotion. The blonde leant into the other door, trying to look nonchalant, but the fact that he was practically vibrating with nervous energy ruined the effect somewhat. **Some things never change,** Mickey thought with a smile._

"_Mr Stone. Hi. Danny Blue. Pleased to meet you. You've probably heard of me." he said, sticking his hand out for Mickey to shake. Mickey was sorely tempted to take the offered hand, but he knew that if he did he just might end up pushing the man up against the nearest surface and kissing him senseless. He couldn't risk that, not now. Mickey just looked at the pale hand and then back at Danny, who looked a little disappointed when his hand wasn't shaken. _

"_No?" the blonde carried on, despite the knock back, "All right. Ok, I'm not gunna mess you about, I'll come straight to the point. All right, I know you're playing this score. I want in."_

_Mickey smirked,_ **_He still has it_**,_ he thought. But no matter how much he wanted to let him in, he knew he couldn't. Not only would it jeopardise the whole con, but it would throw Mickey totally off kilter. Even more than he was now. _

"_In what?" Mickey said, looking at Danny but not giving anything away. He was playing innocent, even though he knew that Danny knew what they were doing. _

"_In. You know, in the game. I wanna learn, I really wanna learn," he said, stepping forward slightly, "I'll just come inside for a little chat." _

_Mickey didn't move as Danny peeped around the door. He was close enough to touch, and yet Mickey couldn't move an inch. His unique scent filled his nostrils as he breathed in and memories of lazy days and steamy nights whizzed around his brain, immobilizing Mickey as the young blonde tried to get further into the room. _

"_This is nice, innit?" he said, when he realised that he wasn't going to get any further. He stepped back into the doorway, and as soon as he did so Mickey just wanted him back again. _

"_Look, I'm good," he said, his eyes pleading, "I can help you." Mickey crossed his arms over his chest with an amused smile. **Yep**_, _he thought,_ **_he still has it_**. _"Think of it like that. Ok, 'cause I know all the old plays. What're you doing? The Wire?" Mickey didn't answer, "No? The Rag? The Pay-off? You tell me once, Mickey, that's it. Bosh, it's in."_

_Mickey couldn't resist the next comment, "And, er, I bet you watched 'The Sting', too, didn't you?"_

_Danny looked away as though he was thinking and Mickey couldn't help but think that he looked cute. _

"_Never heard of it," he finally answered. Mickey grabbed the door, and Danny looked from Mickey to the door, and then back to Mickey again. _

"_You're not going to shut the door, are you?" he asked, his whole body completely deflated. Mickey really didn't want to do it, but he had to. He had to get him self in check first before he did anything stupid, like grab him and kiss him. _

"_Yeah," Mickey answered, "I thought I might." Mickey swung the door closed, and the last he saw of Danny Blue was his blue eyes looking at him in defeat. When the door clicked shut, Mickey finally let himself go. He fell forwards slowly until his head pressed against the cool wood of the door. His body relaxed, and he suddenly felt very tired. _

"_Michael? Who was that?"_

_Mickey turned his head towards Albert who stood in the large archway that led into the living room. He gave the man a humourless smile and stood back up to face the older man._

"_Daniel's back."//_

Mickey jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Stacie standing behind him, a worried frown on creasing her forehead.

"You alright, Mickey?" she asked, clutching the small jacket around her tighter. The wind had turned cold, but Mickey hadn't noticed. He gave her a small smile and turned around completely to face her.

"I'm fine, Stace." When Stacie gave him a look, he laughed, "Honest! I'm just thinking, that's all."

"Should I be worried?" she asked, a smile on her cherry red lips, "I mean, when you think, it usually means that something is brewing."

Mickey smiled and just stared at her for a few silent minutes. Stacie frowned again.

"What?" she laughed, her hand checking her face and hair to see if anything was wrong. Mickey laughed at her and leaned forward to give her a hug. Stacie wrapped her arms around him and laid her chin on his shoulder automatically.

"Thank you so much, Stacie," he said quietly into her ear, "You are a fantastic woman; you have a brilliant mind and I am so proud of you."

Stacie pulled back, more than a little shocked. She was nearly speechless. Mickey didn't just say something like that for no reason, and his words hit her pretty hard.

"Mickey?"

The dark man just smiled at her and kissed her cheek, "It's nothing, ok? Just...don't worry about me. I'll be ok." He looked at her again and saw her shiver, "You, on the other had, will catch pneumonia if you stay out here any longer. Come on, let's go back inside."

He slid an arm around her shoulders and walked her back to the hotel room. The wall of heat hit him as soon as he opened the door, and a shiver made its way from his head to his toes.

"Mickey! Thought you'd got lost out there, mate."

Mickey turned to Danny and rolled his eyes at the sarcastic comment. The blonde man snorted and smirked at Mickey before walking towards the armchair and plonking himself unceremoniously into it. Mickey shook his head at him and smiled slightly.

"Well, I'm off to bed," Mickey announced, "Night guys." He headed towards the hallway that contained the bedrooms and turned into his, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Something's up with him," Stacie said, sitting down on the couch, "I just don't know what it is."

"Leave the man be, Stacie," Albert sighed. Stacie turned to him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at him.

"You know something, don't you, Albie?" she asked. The other gentleman looked at her carefully before answering her question.

"Yes, my dear, I do know what is wrong with Mickey, and before you ask, no I'm not going to tell you what it is,"

"Well, why not?" Stacie argued.

"Because it's not my story to tell," Albert answered, "Mickey will tell you in his own time, but for now you must drop it."

Stacie saw the seriousness in Albert's eyes and decided not to push the matter. He was right after all, Mickey would tell them in his own time. But Stacie couldn't shake the feeling that whatever 'it' was, it was going to be big. She settled back into the cushy sofa, tilted her head back and closed her eyes, suddenly tired. She just hoped that whatever Mickey was hiding wasn't going to tear them apart. She didn't think she could handle that, not now that they had been together for so long.

* * *

Albert sighed as he made his way to the kitchen to make himself a drink. It was one o'clock in the morning, and he had had little sleep. His mind was still on Mickey. He would have to tell them sooner or later, because it wasn't about to get any easier for the dark man. 

He stopped and frowned when he heard a noise. He looked around the room in an effort to try and locate the source of the noise. His eyes scanned the living room, and they stopped when they caught something white on the arm the chair. Albert took a step forward and he realised that the 'something white' was the white of a sock. He moved further still, moving around the chair to see what, or who was sat there. The older man smiled when he saw who it was.

Danny was curled into the soft chair, sound asleep. He was still in yesterday's clothes, only his denim jacket and his shoes were missing. They were lying on the floor beside the chair. Danny shifted in his sleep and rubbed his cheek against the back of the chair. Albert smiled and shook his head, "Why aren't you at home, Danny?" he whispered into the darkness.

The young blonde whimpered in his sleep and for a moment Albert was afraid he had woken him up. His head tossed from side to side, and his face was screwed up in panic and terror. Albert hadn't woken him; he was having a nightmare. His mouth moved, forming words that Albert could hear.

"Mickey...no, please no...don't hurt him..." Danny cried out.

Albert's eyes widened in surprise, but then turned to sadness. He knew what the younger man was dreaming about. Carefully, the older gentleman stood and walked over to his younger charge. He gently laid a hand across his forehead and soothed the blonde male, whispering quiet words of comfort to calm him down. Danny settled down after a bit, the cries subsided and so did his wriggling. Albert sighed and stood up, silently groaning as his back protested against the change in position. _I'm too old to be doing this_, he thought wryly. He padded into the little kitchenette and quietly pulled a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap. He then made his way back to his bedroom, stopping on the way to see if Danny was alright. He sighed and gently shut his bedroom door behind him. _You better find the right time to tell them, Mickey_, he thought, _or it will end up being someone else's decision. _

* * *

Mickey's eyes popped open and the dark man lay still in his bed for a few seconds listening to his own breathing. He couldn't say what had woken him; all he knew was that one minute he was asleep, and the next he was wide awake. He looked over to the digital clock on the bedside table and noted that it was just after 1:30 in the morning. He breathed out in a whoosh of air and rubbed his face with his hands, it was way too early for him to be awake. Then he paused, becoming very still for the next minute. Was that three heartbeats he heard? Usually he only heard two, and at this time they would be at their resting heart rate. He could hear two heart beats that were slow and steady, which told him they were asleep. But the third heartbeat was too fast for someone to be sleeping. 

Mickey growled slightly in the back of his throat, feeling on edge, but not sure why. He grabbed a pair of trousers off the chair and threw them on, along with a shirt that he didn't bother buttoning up. He quietly padded across the carpet to the door and opened it up, poking his head out to see if anyone was in the hallway. When he was sure no-one was about, he slid out into the hall and walked softly into the large, open-plan seating area. The fast heartbeat grew louder, and he knew that someone was in the living room. He walked around the chair, and then he head a soft snore.

He turned to see Danny curled up on the chair. He frowned, not quiet understanding why Danny was still there. He usually went home of a night, _so why the change of heart now?_ Mickey noticed that his heartbeat was slowly returning to normal speed, but as he looked at the sleeping man, he wondered if he actually awoke from his slumber.

He stared at the blonde and smiled softly. He looked so peaceful when he slept; so young and free. Mickey remembered a time long ago when things were different, yet still the same. They still played the con, still worked the circuit; but there was just the two of them, or three including Albert. They were so young then, so fresh and new and...innocent. Mickey smirked; it was heard to think of them being 'innocent', but by today's standards they were. He'd have never have thought...

A noise caught his attention and brought him out of his thoughts. He watched Danny wriggle a bit before becoming still again. His heart beat sped up slightly, telling Mickey that he was on the verge of waking up. Sleepy blue eyes looked at him from under barely open eyelids and a small frown creased his pale brow.

"'ikey?" Danny said; the word sticking in his throat. Mickey smiled at him.

"Go back to sleep, Danny," the dark man said softly. Danny smiled back at him and within 30 seconds the blonde had fallen asleep again. Mickey leaned forward and stroked a finger down his cheek, smiling when Danny unconsciously leaned into the touch. He leaned back and sighed, letting his head fall back so he was staring at the ceiling.

_Things are going to get worse before they get better,_ Mickey thought to himself, _I just know it. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Edited: 27/032007_

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****Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,689  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

//... // - Memories, the past.

* * *

**Part 2**

A Week Later

Mickey smirked as he watched Danny look at the cards in his hand. He was a good card player, but he was no where near as good as Mickey. The dark man caught all the Tells, however minute they were; but he'd had a lot of practice. Danny was sharp; he was good, but he wasn't faultless, and Mickey always picked up on his bluff.

"Pair of tens, pair of aces," The younger male said with a smug smile. Mickey's smirk grew and he lay the cards down on the table and slid them forwards slightly.

"Royal flush," he said. Danny's smile dropped and he stared at Mickey with disbelief.

"How do you _do_ that?" he asked. Mickey smiled and gathered the pack of cards from the table, shuffling them as he stared back at Danny.

"I have the gift," he said. Danny smirked and shook his head, standing up.

"You have something, all right..." he said. Mickey just carried on smiling and shuffling the cards.

"You don't want another go?" the older man said without looking at the other.

"Nah, you're alright," the blonde said with a small smile.

Mickey looked up with the intention to goad the younger man into another game, but movement caught his eye and he stopped. He looked towards the door and watched as Albert made his way into the apartment. He looked weary, worn and every bit his age...and then some. Mickey frowned. He'd wondered where Albert had been since the other day. The older gentleman had been out before they all rose and back after they had gone to bed.

"Albert?"

The man looked up at him, and Mickey's frown deepened as the tiredness etched on his mentor's face. He gave Mickey a wan smiled and made his way over to the table.

"We need to talk." He said, his voice giving him away. Mickey nodded at him and they both looked at Danny. The blonde looked at them both in turn and heaved an exaggerated sigh.

"Alright, alright, I know when I'm not wanted..." he said, slinking off to find one of the others. They watched him until they knew that he was out of ear-shot, and then turned back to each other.

"What's wrong, Albert?" Mickey asked, concern shining in his dark eyes. Albert sighed and looked Mickey straight in the eye.

"I have a potential mark." Albert stated.

"And what's the problem?" Mickey asked, feeling apprehension curl in his stomach.

"The mark." Albert answered, keeping eye contact with the man in front of him.

"Who is it?"

"Rex Rayner."

Those two words sparked so many emotions that they threatened to drown him. Old memories surfaced, bringing up everything that he had worked so hard to suppress. Images of Daniel flitted around his mind, mostly of the day he died. There was so much blood, so many tears. All because of that bastard Simon Rayner.

The click of fingers in front of his face jolted him out of his memories, and he looked at his concerned mentor in stunned silence.

"You ok?" Albert asked him. Mickey was still for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Yeah," he said, his voice sticking, "Yeah, I'm fine..."

"What do you want to do?" Albert said, unconsciously glancing towards Danny.

"Do you have all the information on him?" Mickey said, following his gaze. Danny was sitting on the sofa, playing cards with Stacie. They were laughing and joking and playing the game half-heartedly, but mostly they were just teasing each other as they often did.

"I do, but not all of it," Albert said, hesitantly, unsure whether to voice his concern or not. "There is something you should know before you decide."

Albert's tone of voice made Mickey turn back to him immediately. The dark man frowned.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" he questioned warily.

Albert sighed, "I've been watching him for a few days, and I know something is going on. I don't know what, though. On the surface everything is perfect; he has a beautiful wife and a baby on the way, but underneath that there is something sinister going on."

"So, you're saying we need someone on the Inside." Mickey said carefully. When Albert nodded, he asked, "Well, did you find a weakness?"

"Yes, unfortunately." Albert muttered, but Mickey caught it nonetheless. He frowned again

"Why 'unfortunately'?"

"He has a rather...unusual...past-time."

When Albert didn't elaborate, he verbally nudged the other man, "Which is...?"

"He likes whores."

Mickey shook his head slightly, "What's the problem then? Stacie's played a whore before-"

"Male whores." Albert interrupted. Mickey's eyes widened and he sat staring at the other man in shock. "Young, blonde male whores."

Mickey blinked, and then everything clicked. He swallowed and shook his head vehemently, standing up from the table.

"No. Absolutely not!" he said, trying, and failing, to keep his voice down.

"Mickey—" Albert started.

"No!" Mickey said forcefully. By this time, Danny and Stacie had heard the negative exclamations and had left their card game to see what Mickey was protesting against.

"What's going on?" Stacie said, glancing between the two men. Mickey's face was strained and full of anger, and Albert looked drained, but still clinging to something.

"Nothing." Mickey said shortly.

"Don't be stubborn, Michael—" Albert started again.

"I'm not being stubborn!" he growled, "I'm not risking it."

"Risking what?" Danny asked, confusion plastered over his features.

"I don't want to risk it either, but it's either that or we don't do this score." Albert said wearily.

"Then we don't do the score." Mickey said firmly.

"Hang on, hang on," Danny said, raising his hands in a 'stop' gesture, "What score?"

"It doesn't matter." Mickey said, turning towards the Kitchen.

"Why?" Stacie stated, "Don't you think we should all have a say in this?"

"No." he said as he carried on walking.

"Why not?" She said, outraged at his behaviour towards them.

He rounded on her, "Because I am the leader, and what I say goes!"

"And we are a _Team_, and we _all_ have a say in what cons we do and what cons we don't!" she countered. "We are _Family_. I thought that would count for something."

The anger drained from Mickey's face as she spoke, and he hung his head. She was right, she was absolutely right; but he knew that this con would not go ahead, even if Albert went ahead and told them all the details.

"It does count, Stacie, it will always count," he said, looking at her sadly, "But this con...I can't do it."

"Don't you think we should at least know what the con is before you completely rule it out?" Stacie answered back. Mickey stared hard at her for a few seconds, but gave in.

"Ok, ok, Albert can tell you about it. But I still think we should steer well clear of this."

Stacie nodded, "Right, me and Danny will set up and then get Ash."

Fifteen minutes later they were all sat in the living room around the black projector and a laptop. Albert was stood to the side of the white canvas screen with the remote in his hand.

"The mark, ladies and gentlemen, is Rex Rayner." Albert said. He aimed the remote at the projector and pushed a button. A picture of the mark appeared on the screen. He was tall and thin, with wavy dark hair and a pale complexion. He was wearing a light coloured business suit with a dark t-shirt underneath. Black sunglasses hid his eyes and he was smiling at something out of sight. He looked young, and wealthy.

"He's 30 years old and married to the beautiful Shelly Fox, who is 25." He continued, clicking the remote again. The picture moved to a head shot of the wife. She was young and Albert was right, she was very beautiful. She had long dark hair, stunning green eyes and a tan complexion. She could have been Mediterranean.

"Shelly is expecting Rex's first child." The picture changed to a full body shot of the young woman. She was wearing black dress trousers and a large, but not overly large t-shirt that clung to her baby bump in all the right places. "They are the ideal happy couple. They spend time together, he coddles her and she lavishes in his attention."

"Sounds perfect," Danny said.

"Too perfect," Stacie said cynically, "What makes him mark material?"

"He has Money, my dear," Albert answered, "He is rich. And you are right, everything is too perfect. I've been watching them for a while, and something is going on, I just don't know what."

"Why him, though?" Danny asked, "Why this Rex Rayner bloke?"

"Let's just say Mickey and the Rayners go way back..." Albert said, smirking at the blonde male.

"Ok, so what's the In?" Ash asked. Albert glanced over to Mickey, who nodded slightly to the older man.

"This man only has one weakness, as far as I can tell."

"What's the weakness?" Stacie asked. Albert looked towards Mickey again, and the two stared at each other for a few moments. Stacie looked between the two men, waiting for an answer.

"Albie?" the older man turned to her, "What is it?"

The man coughed and cleared his throat, "Male whores."

The room was silent for a second before Ash finally burst out laughing. "I don't think anyone of us here qualifies for that, Albert," the man chuckled.

Albert looked up and stared at him sombrely, "There is one. Rex has a preference for younger, blonde males."

Ash had stopped laughing, and again the room was silent. Everyone turned and looked at Danny, who was frozen still on the couch, blinking at Albert.

"You what?" Ash said, unbelievingly. Albert nodded.

"We're not doing it."

Everyone turned to Mickey, who had his eyes firmly on Albert. "They've heard the pitch, but my word still stands, and we are not doing it."

"You word doesn't count for everyone," Stacie pointed out. The dark man turned to her.

"I know that, but—"

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" Danny interrupted. Mickey turned to him, shock etched on his features.

"I never said that," he stated, but was cut off again.

"You don't have to say it," Danny said, trying to rein his anger, "The only reason you won't do it is because you don't think I can play the role. Well, I can and I will!" The blonde turned to Albert, "I want to know everything when I get back."

"Danny!" Stacie cried as the young man grabbed his jacket, "Danny! Where're you going?"

"Out." He said as he closed the door behind him. Stacie heaved a frustrated sigh.

"Great, now look at what you've gone and done!" she said to Mickey.

"Me?!" he exclaimed, "I didn't have anything to do with it!"

"Yes, you! You might have well just came out and told him that you thought he wasn't good enough to be on this team!" he cried back, anger and frustration in every muscle of her tensed body.

"I never said that!"

"You didn't have to!"

"Stop it, the both of you!" Ash barked. Stacie fumed at him, but didn't say any more. She backed off and stormed into her bedroom, where she slammed the door behind her. Mickey sighed and made his way to the balcony dejectedly. Ash sighed and looked back at Albert with a despairing expression, to which the gentleman answered with a wry smile.

"I'll talk to Michael, you talk to Stacie," he said, "But I advise you to let her cool off first."

Ash nodded and reclaimed his seat on the couch as Albert made his way out to the balcony. Mickey was leaning against the railing, looking down over the busy city of London. Mickey, knowing who was behind him, spoke out.

"I didn't mean it to sound like that." He said. Albert sighed and walked up to the miserable man, patting him on the back lightly.

"I know you didn't," he said quietly, the gravely American accent thick.

"It's not the fact that I don't think he can do it; I know he can do it, he's proved that so many times. I just...don't want him hurt. After all these years, and I finally found him." Mickey snorted, "Or rather, he found me." Mickey turned his head and looked straight at Albert. His eyes were full of worry and hurt and suffering, and Albert was surprised he was showing him that much. "It hurts. You know, not telling him. I'm so close, and yet I'm so far away."

"Why don't you tell him?" The other man offered. Mickey snorted and looked back down at the city.

"Somehow, I don't think he'd take it too well." He said sarcastically.

"You're going to have to tell them someday, Michael," Albert sighed, "Something is going to happen sooner or later and it's all going to come out whether you like it or not."

"And you really think they would believe me?" Mickey retorted. "They are not going to accept that we are Vampires and that Danny is my mate. Danny would run, and Ash and Stacie..." he let the sentence hang.

"They have stuck by you so far, what makes you think they won't when you tell them you're true nature? Ok, so it's a little...outrageous, but it doesn't make it any less real. They'd come around eventually."

Mickey sighed and looked out onto the city, "There are sometimes when I wish this never happened. I sometimes wish that I had died with Daniel that night, and not agreed to your proposition. And then there are times when I don't; times when I am glad that I agreed and killed that bastard Simon Rayner. I did it for Daniel, because I knew that he would have wanted me to do it. He was always like that..." Mickey trailed off, his eyes no longer seeing London below him.

* * *

_// He felt arms slide around his waist and he smile slightly, covering the arms with a hand. A chin rested on his shoulder and the soft breathing by his ear calmed him. Mickey knew he could always count on Daniel to sooth his troubled mind. _

"_What's wrong?" Daniel whispered into his ear. He shook his head and sighed, eyes still staring out of the window of the Penthouse of the best Hotel in London. The light's shined brightly in the city, contrasting with his mood slightly. _

"_Nothing," Mickey replied, "Just thinking..."_

_Daniel snorted, "What could be in that mind of yours that would keep you up at 2 o'clock in the morning?" _

"_A lot of things, Dan." He sighed and turned around to face Daniel. The younger male had just got out of bed; blonde hair was sticking up all over the place, mussed from sleep and their earlier escapades. He stood before him stark naked; he hadn't bothered to cover up in front of Mickey, and Mickey liked that. The piercing blue eyes were only slightly glazed over, sleep had mostly left them now and in its place was startling clarity. Those eyes held him close, kept him safe, and kept him captive. He knew that as long as they both lived, he would never be able to leave those eyes. Mickey closed his eyes and fell forward until his forehead leant against Daniel's._

"_I love you," he whispered, "I love you so much..."_

"_I love you too," Daniel said back. Mickey felt soft lips on his own and he couldn't resist. He kissed back fiercely, trying to convey the love he felt for the other man through his mouth. "I'll never leave you," he panted, breathless. Mickey acknowledged the comment with a short moan and dived back in for another kiss. //_

* * *

"Come on," Albert said after a few silent minutes, "Let's go back inside,"

Mickey nodded and sighed, turning away from the memories and back to the present. Mickey looked at Albert, who gave him a soft smile, before patting him on the shoulder and turning towards the hotel again. Mickey followed him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Edited: 27/03/2007_

* * *

**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 3,213  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

//... // - Memories, the past.

* * *

**Part 3**

Danny wandered around London for a while, letting himself cool off. He couldn't believe that Mickey had done that. After all this time with them, Danny would have thought that Mickey trusted him. He even let him be the Inside man on a few cons, including the Frank Gorley con. Ok, so he got shot, but that wasn't his fault. Ok, so it was, but that wasn't the point. The point was why didn't Mickey believe he could do this con?

And why had he been so adamant to do it? A male whore? Danny had never ventured into that kind of territory before, and as he sat down on the stone wall of the fountain in the nearby square, he wandered if this was such a good idea. He'd never been with a man before; never thought about it before either. He was a ladies man; a complete charmer with a cheeky smile and twinkle in his eye. He'd had men look his way, sure, but he'd never done anything about it. He was surprised to find that the thought of it didn't sicken him. He shook his head ruefully.

Maybe he was doing it to impress Mickey as well, to prove to him that he was good enough to be apart of the crew. When he was young, he was always being dragged along with his dad and his uncle on some kind of 'business'. They would rob banks and steal money from people or raid houses, and he was told to keep a look out for the coppers. He had no choice really, since his mother had left him in his care when he was five. He asked his dad once why he wasn't allowed to help them properly. His dad just laughed at him cruelly and told him that he wasn't good enough to help him out and all he was fit for was keeping a look out. In retrospect, Danny was glad that he hadn't been able to help his dad and his uncle do the stuff they did, but it still hurt at the time. Since that day he'd tried his hardest to impress people, and sometimes he took it a little too far, coming off as arrogant.

Some people would say that what he was doing now was no better than what his dad and his uncle did all those years ago. Danny didn't agree. His dad and his uncle were good for nothing louts who took money from anything with two legs. No, what he did was something completely different; what he did was art. Yeah, he takes money from people, but the marks are greedy and have more than enough cash to spare. Besides, first rule of the con: You can't cheat an honest man.

He sighed and stood, heading back towards the Hotel. He'd agreed to do it, and he couldn't back out. If Mickey didn't think he could do it, then he would have to prove him wrong. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he fished it out. The caller ID flashed 'Mickey'. He sighed and flipped it open.

"Yep." He said shortly.

"_We're at Eddies_," Mickey said, "_Meet us there_."

"On my way." He said, and then closed the phone. He frowned and shook his head. _How the hell does he do that? _He turned off at the next street and took the short cut to Eddies. He wondered if one of them had already tried it on with Eddie, and if not then he was definitely going to have a go. He smiled to himself; sometimes that man had no idea. But then again, he really didn't stand a chance with the five of them.

Eddie's Bar was a small bar hidden in the back streets of London. If you didn't know about it, you wouldn't look twice at it. It was wedged in between two shops, and not really noticeable. Eddie, the owner, was a long time friend of Mickey, but other than that, Danny didn't know much about the man. The bar itself was known to many Con men, and it's obscurity made it the perfect place to meet and plan.

He entered the bar and blinked a few times, letting his eyes get used to the dim lighting. He nodded to Eddie, who eyed him warily and nodded back in greeting. Danny smirked; someone had already conned him. He made his way to their usual booth and slid in on the end beside Stacie.

"So, how're we gunna do this?" he asked them.

"You're absolutely sure you want to do this?" Albert asked him, staring at him intently. Albert was one of those people you can really get attached to; hence going after Frank Gorely when he had his cronies beat Albert up. Danny nodded.

"I'm sure." He answered, "Now what's the plan?"

"You're going to be the Whore, and Mickey will be your Pimp." Albert said. "Now, Rex is staying at The Bentley hotel in South Kensington, as he does every week while he does 'Business'."

"Doesn't the hotel say anything about the rent boys?" Stacie asked, frowning and sipping her Bacardi and Coke, "Surely they must have rules and regulations."

It was Mickey who answered, "He pays a lot of money to stay there, Stace, and he's a regular. Staff tend to ignore the abnormal if you give them enough money."

"So, there will be no problem getting into the hotel then. Just tell them that you're meeting Rex." Ash said, blowing out smoke from the corner of his mouth.

"But how do we know if Rex will call for a whore?" Danny asked.

"He has them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, like clockwork at 10pm." Albert answered.

Danny snorted. "Now that's what I call an unhappy marriage." He said. "Ok, so what do we do about the other guy that's been called?"

"I'm going to see if I can tap into the hotel phone system." Ash supplied. "With Stacie's help, of course." He said, smiling to the young woman beside him. She smiled back and laid a friendly hand on his arm.

"There's a job vacancy for Reception Staff," she said, "If you want to know what's going on in a Hotel, work in the Kitchen or Reception. They know _everything_. I can find out what room his in; no doubt it's the penthouse suite."

"Once I have the number of the suite, and the number of the phone, I can tap it. Then we'll know who he goes to."

"But that's not the main concern," Mickey said, "My main concern is you, Danny."

Danny smirked and looked at the table, "You still don't think I can do it." He said, with a humourless laugh.

"Will you stop putting words into my mouth!" Mickey growled. Danny's eyes flicked up to meet him then, and the blonde saw sadness in the dark depths. He quickly looked away, not wanting to analyse the feelings that bubbled in him.

"I didn't say that. And that's not my concern. My concern is how you are going to pull this off." Seeing Danny's look, Mickey sighed. "It's not that I think you can't do it, it's the fact that as far as I know you haven't got any experience with this. You need to act and look the part for him to take the bait."

Danny blushed and looked at the table. He heard Stacie giggle beside him and she nudged him with her arm.

"Aww, Danny! Don't be all embarrassed. I had to do it as well." She laughed.

"Yeah, well it's alright for you, innit!" he said, indignantly. "All you had to do was slap some make-up on and tart yourself up and BAM! Instant whore. Me, I have to pretend to like..."

"The same sex?" Mickey supplied. Danny turned to him, ignoring Stacie's glare in favour for the dark man.

"Yeah." He said, lamely.

"Is that so bad?" Mickey asked seriously, staring at Danny from across the table. Danny squirmed under his gaze and struggled with the answer.

"I guess not," he finally said, "It's just that I haven't been in that situation before, and it's awkward, you know?"

"I might be able to help." Ash said, as he put his cigarette out in the ashtray. All eyes turned to him for an explanation. "While I was inside, I met this guy. Callum Redland his name was. Only 20 at the time. Anyway, we got talking, and he ended up telling me that he was a rent boy. Said that his dad sold him when he was young for extra cash. Very good looking boy, and very sought after, if I remember rightly. I can make a few calls and try and get hold of him if you like. He might be able to help you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Stacie laughed. She slid her arm through Ash's and hugged it.

"Ash, is there anyone you _don't_ know?" she laughed. Ash grinned at her.

"There are a lot of people I don't know, Stace, but it's the ones that I _do_ know that are important."

"I'll drink to that!" Danny said, raising the glass of Coke that Eddie had brought him. They laughed and all five of them raised their glass to meet Danny's.

Mickey sat back and laughed at the banter between Danny and Stacie as they argued over the 'whore' comment. He smiled and sipped his orange juice. _This is definitely going to be an interesting couple of weeks_, Mickey thought.

* * *

After a lot of phone calls and a lot of stressing, Ash finally managed to get hold of Callum Redland. He explained the situation to the man and he agreed to help, telling them that he would meet them at Eddie's the next day.

When he walked through the door that morning, everybody turned and stared. The man was...undeniably beautiful. Skin like honey and eyes as dark as sin that promised all sorts of nasty sexy things. Ash had told them he was a looker, but nothing would have prepared them for that. The nicely cut and very expensive suit complimented him, and Mickey could only guess at the body that lay beneath. Ash said that people paid a pretty penny for his services, and Mickey could believe it. He was beautiful, without being effeminate. The man's eyes skimmed over the room, and he smiled when they landed on Ash. Mickey swore he heard Stacie sigh beside him.

"Ash!" he said, making his way towards the booth. Ash stood up and met him, holding his hand out to the other man. He took it in a firm shake and smiled at the older man.

"Callum! God, you haven't changed a bit! How long has it been? 10 years?" he said. Callum just shrugged.

"Got to keep the clientele happy," he said. He glanced over to the others in the booth, and Ash clapped a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah, sorry, this is the rest of the crew. Mickey Stone, Albert Stroller, Stacie Monroe and Danny Blue." He said, pointing to each other them in turn. Mickey just nodded, as did Albert. Danny and Stacie didn't do anything, the blonde was too busy staring at his drink and Stacie was too busy staring at Callum.

"So you're Danny." He said, sliding into the booth on the opposite side to the blonde. "Ash has told me so much about you."

"Heh, good things I hope." He said nervously.

"Oh, don't worry. It was all good." Callum said, smiling at Danny.

"I take it Ash has told you what the plan is." Mickey said, not liking the way he was smiling at Danny. The man looked over to him and nodded.

"How much time have I got?" He asked.

"Not long. A week max." said Ash. Callum nodded and sat in silence for a bit, contemplating.

"Can you help?" Mickey asked after a while. Callum snorted.

"Of course I can help." He said, boastfully, "It's just that we might not have enough time."

"Don't worry," Stacie piped in, "Danny's a quick learner." The blonde frowned at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. He made a face at her and went back to his drink.

"Ok," Callum said, "I'll help. Just out of interest, who is the guy you're going after?"

"Rex Rayner." Mickey answered.

Callum choked on his drink, and Ash handed him a tissue to clean himself up with. He coughed a couple of times, and then turned to stare at Mickey in amazement.

"You what?!" he cried.

"You know him then?"

"Know him?!" he squeaked, "Of course I know him. There isn't a rent boy in London who doesn't!"

"Well that certainly says a lot for his marriage," Danny muttered, watching Callum carefully. The other man was shaking slightly, and it wasn't only Danny who picked up on it.

"What's the matter?" Mickey said, frowning at the other man. Callum shook his head and downed the rest of his drink.

"Rayner isn't the most...gentle of lovers." He said, "He likes it rough, and sometimes he takes it too far. He gets very violent. I know a few people who have been seriously damaged by him. I've seen his handiwork, and let me tell you now, it's not pretty."

"Well, that's that," Mickey said, "We're not doing it."

"I can hold my own, you know." Danny said, scowling. "I'm not stupid and I'm not weak."

"Danny—"

"Just don't, ok?" Danny said, "We're doing it, its final."

Mickey stared at him, mouth open and eyes wide. He sat like that for a few seconds, before sighing and conceding.

"Fine, but if he hurts you, you're out of there." He said firmly. Danny nodded his agreement.

"Well, I'm telling you now, you're crazy." Callum said, staring at Danny and shaking his head.

"I have my reasons," he answered, "You still helping?"

Callum was still, but then he nodded and sighed, pushing a hand through his thick dark hair.

"Yes, I'm still helping."

"Good, well that's settled then," Stacie said, finishing off her drink. "When can we start?"

"Stacie..." Mickey said warningly. The young woman looked at him.

"What?" she cried, "We haven't got that much time, so we have to get a move on."

"Actually I agree," Callum said, a little calmer now, "There are a few things that I need to know."

"Like?" Danny asked.

Callum grimaced, "I can't say this without being blunt, so I'm sorry about that. Have you ever had sex with a man?"

Danny was glad that he wasn't drinking then, because he would have choked on it by now. He blushed and looked at the table, averting his eyes from all of them.

"No," he mumbled. Callum smiled slightly.

"I thought not. How are you going to stop him from having sex with you then? After all, he is paying you to spread them, and he's going to want his money's worth."

"Danny's going to have a bottle of sleeping pills with him. He just has to make sure that Rayner has a drink so he can slip them in. He'll be dead to the world within minutes." Albert said.

"Then he's got to snoop around and see what's going on," said Mickey. Callum nodded at this and then turned his attention back to Danny.

"We've got to go shopping." He said. Danny frowned.

"What for?" he asked.

"Well, you're going to need clothes and such. I know a few places that have just what we're looking for."

"And what exactly would we be looking?" the blonde asked.

"That would be telling, now, wouldn't it?" Callum said, smirking. He cocked his head to once side. "So, you have no experience with men at all?"

Danny's cheeks flamed and he got defensive, "No, ok, no I haven't!"

Callum didn't say anything, and before anybody had a chance to protest, his hand shot out and curled around Danny's neck, pulling Danny's mouth to his. Danny was too surprised to do anything other than kiss the other man back. Callum's tongue invaded his mouth, and Danny's battled with it.

Distantly, Danny heard Mickey growl from beside Callum, and Danny's mind suddenly exploded with so many thoughts. Most, if not all were telling him that this was wrong and he should stop right now. Danny's eyes sprang open and he ripped his lips away from Callum's. Breathing hard, he stared at Callum with wide eyes as the other man sat back down in his seat.

"Well, you have no trouble in that department." He said silkily, taking another sip of his drink.

"Wow..." Stacie breathed as Danny sat down heavily, still staring at Callum. "That was...so hot..."

"Yes, well..." Mickey said sourly. "I think that's all for now. Callum, you can meet Danny tomorrow and take him shopping. In the meantime, I have some stuff to do, so if you'll excuse me."

The dark man stood and made his way around the table, heading out of the bar without so much as a 'See you later'. Albert sighed and followed him out, saying something about taking a walk.

"What was all that about?" Stacie asked, watching Albert's retreating back.

"I think he was jealous." Callum said. They all looked at him like he'd grown another head.

"What?" Stacie laughed, "Of who?"

Callum smiled and shrugged. He glanced at his watched and sighed, downing the rest of his drink.

"I'm really sorry I can't spend anymore time with you, but I have to be somewhere," he said before turning to Danny, "Meet you here tomorrow morning at, say, 10am?"

Danny nodded, "Fine with me."

"Good good," he said. Turning to Ash, he said, "It was good to see you again, Ash. We must keep in touch."

The older man nodded, "Yeah, sure. Take care, mate."

"And you. Until the next time." He said, winking at Danny before leaving the establishment.

"Well, Ash," Stacie said, after Callum had left, "What's between you and Callum?"

Ash arched his eyebrow, "Nothing. As I said, we talked. It did him good to tell someone about what was going on in his life, and I listened to him. Besides, I was still married to June, and no offence, but I'm not into men."

"Well _he_ certainly was!" Stacie giggled. "That kiss was amazing!"

Danny blushed, again, and he fought against the smirk that was threatening to spread across his mouth.

"But what was all that with Mickey?" she asked. Danny looked blank, and Ash just shrugged.

"Mickey is...Mickey. You should know that by now, Stace," the older man answered. "Who knows what goes on in that head of his. But there's no point bothering him about it." He said with a pointed glare to the woman.

"Who says I was going to bother him?"

"I know you Stacie. You mean well, but there are some things that Mickey wants to keep to himself." He sighed, "There is probably a lot we don't know about Mickey Stone..."

The statement was correct, there _was_ a lot they didn't know about the man in question, but it wasn't long before they were going to find out what Mickey Stone was hiding from them.


	4. Chapter 4

_Edited: 27/03/2007_

**

* * *

****Warnings:**

Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,897  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

* * *

**Part 4**

The next morning, Danny got up, got dressed and was out of the apartment before seven o'clock. Mickey hadn't slept the night before, and was out on the balcony when he heard the door close. Danny was asleep on the couch again when he eventually got back to the hotel, and he had to wonder why. He found the blue travel bag once, hidden in the bathroom, full of his clothes and stuff. He wondered why Danny wasn't going home, or why he hadn't told them.

Mickey sighed and watched as Danny exited the building and crossed the street, heading towards Eddie's. His eyes narrowed when he thought of who he was meeting.

"I don't like this, Albert," he said to the man who had stepped out onto the balcony. "I don't like this one bit."

"I know you don't Michael, but it's Danny's choice."

"And he wouldn't have chosen to do the bloody thing in the first place if you hadn't have told them!" he hissed. As soon as the words left his mouth and his body sagged against the railing, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take this out on you."

"No, you shouldn't," Albert said calmly, "But you are right. If I hadn't have brought this up, Danny wouldn't be in this position."

"You did it for me, and I appreciate that Albert. And, if things hadn't have been this way, then I would have gone after Rayner like a shot. But the only reason I'm digging my heels in is because of Danny."

"He can take care of himself," the older man said.

"That's not the point." Mickey sighed. His eyes hardened and his fists clenched, "I swear to God, if Rayner hurts him I'll kill him." He growled. Albert put a comforting and calming hand on Mickey's shoulder.

"I know you would. And I certainly wouldn't stop you."

Stacie frowned at the two voices from her hiding place behind the curtain. She had heard them talking, and was going to join them when she heard what Mickey had to say. Maybe she had got it all wrong. Maybe Mickey did care about Danny, and she had got the wrong end of the stick.

"Come on," Mickey said, "We better go back in."

At this, Stacie bolted from the French windows and back into her bedroom. If she had stayed however, she would have heard something that would have really piqued her interest.

"And I think we had better go to Eddie's." The older man said, "You haven't fed for a few days."

"I'm fine, Albert." Mickey sighed, waving off his Sire's concern.

"You say that, but you're not." When the dark man gave him a look, Albert matched it with his own. "As your Sire it's my duty to make sure you feed properly and take care of yourself. So, suck it up and go."

Mickey sighed and backed down, holding up his hands in defence.

"Ok, ok, I'll go."

Albert smiled, "Good."

* * *

Danny just had time for a drink before Callum turned up. The young man strode into the bar and sat on the bar stool next to the blonde. He wore tight dark denim jeans and a white button-up shirt. 

"Good Morning, Danny." He said cheerily. Danny threw him a small smile and sipped his coffee.

"Morning." He said, "Drink?"

Callum shook his head, "No, thank you."

Danny nodded, "So, where we going?"

"I know of a few places around London that we could try." Callum said, "I know what Rex likes, so I have a pretty good idea what to get."

"Have you...err...you know..."

"Had sex with him?" Callum finished, amused. "No, I haven't. He's asked after me, hoping to get me into his bed, but I know what he's like. He can offer me what he likes, but I'm not going any where near him."

Danny didn't say anything. They sat in silence for a while, Danny drinking his coffee and Callum staring into space.

"Can I ask you something?" Callum suddenly said. Danny looked at him warily, but nodded anyway. "What is your sexual orientation?"

Danny's eyes widened and he blushed, moving his eyes to the bar. He heard Callum snort, but the other man didn't say anything.

"I-I'm straight." Danny stuttered out. Callum nodded, but he wasn't quite convinced, "I hope that wasn't a come on." Danny muttered.

"I don't think so, not with that Mickey guy around. I mean, you're hot, but I haven't got a death wish."

Danny decided to ignore the compliment, "There's nothing between me and Mickey." He said flatly.

"Oh I know, but he has something for you." Callum answered calmly. Danny's eyes widened again, and he stared at Callum with his mouth open. "What? Come on! Did you hear him growling when I kissed you? He was jealous."

"It doesn't mean anything. He was probably growling because Stacie was looking at you or something." Danny said, waving it off. Callum stared at him, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Whatever." He said, glancing at his watch. "Come on, we had better get cracking."

Danny nodded and finished his coffee, slipping off the stool and following Callum out. Eddie, who was cleaning the tables, realised what he was doing.

"Hey! You haven't..." he shouted, but Danny was already out the door. "...paid."

* * *

They all looked up when Danny entered the penthouse apartment later that night, holding three white bags. He didn't say a word; he just stormed across the room and headed straight for the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, and then the apartment was silent. 

They looked at each other in confusion. Mickey was the first out of his seat, with Stacie close behind. Mickey knocked on the door of the bathroom.

"Danny?"

"Go away." came the muffled reply. Mickey frowned and turned to Stacie, who just shrugged. Mickey tried again.

"Come on, Danny. What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" he other man said. "Nothing, just go away."

Mickey stared at the door in front of him and sighed. Stacie just snorted and walked back to the sofa. He stood there for a few more seconds before following the young woman.

They sat around for three hours, and Danny still hadn't come out. They hadn't heard anything from him since he came back. Mickey glanced worriedly at the bathroom door when he thought no-one was looking. He was unaware of the fact that all three of them had caught him doing it at least once. Albert rolled his eyes and went back to reading the paper. Ash and Stacie were the most confused, frowning at the looks that Mickey was giving the door.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Stacie said suddenly. She got up, kissed Albert on the cheek and wished everyone goodnight. Ash went not long after that. It was silent then. Albert was still reading the paper, and Mickey was playing with his deck of cards, still shooting glances towards the bathroom. Albert huffed and smacked Mickey with his paper.

"Hey!" He said, affronted. "What was that for?"

"Go talk to him."

"I did. He won't talk to me." Mickey answered, moving his eyes to the cards.

Albert smirked, "And I never thought I'd see the day." He said. Mickey frowned at him.

"What day?"

"The day that Mickey Bricks gave up."

Mickey scowled, "I haven't given up."

"No?" Albert said, "Certainly looks like it to me." And with that, the older gentleman stood and went to bed.

Mickey stared after him, knowing that his mentor was right. He glared at the now closed door to Albert's bedroom; _I hate it when you're right._ He could feel Albert smirking at him from the other room and he growled. His eyes moved over to the bathroom door, and he sighed. He stood and made his way over, hesitantly knocking on the door.

"Danny?"

There was no reply. Mickey tried again, but there was no answer. Mickey sighed, for all he knew Danny could have fallen asleep. He'd been in there nearly four hours now. He was about to walk away when the door opened a crack.

"What?" came Danny's voice.

"Danny?" Mickey said. "I just wanted to see if you're alright."

"I'm fine," he said unconvincingly.

"Then why did you shut yourself in the bathroom?" Mickey asked, staring at the door as if it was Danny himself.

"Because you'd laugh." Mickey frowned at the small voice. This wasn't like the Danny he knew. It was almost as if he was afraid of what they might think.

"Laugh at what?" he said softly.

There was a pause, and Mickey was afraid that Danny was going to shut the door on him again. Instead, the door slowly opened to reveal Danny.

Whatever was in Mickey's mind before that door opened was completely gone, only to be replaced by lustful thoughts. His eyes widened and his breath hitched as his eyes drank in the sight that was Danny Blue. He was wearing leather trousers that were so tight that they had to surgically grafted on to him. The material clung to him so much that it left nothing to the imagination. His eyes travelled up the lean legs the defined torso, which was covered by a tight blue silk shirt. Two or three buttons were left open at the top, and pale skin of his chest peeped through. The colour of the shirt brought out the impossible blue of his eyes, making them seem brighter.

Danny fidgeted under Mickey's gaze. His eyes flicked across the room, seemingly avoiding Mickey's, and the pink tongue darted out to wet his lips. Mickey's eyes followed the motion, and suddenly his mind exploded with thoughts and images. Mickey so badly wanted to capture that tongue between his teeth and kiss the living daylights out of the man before him. He saw himself slamming the hard body against the wall and licking and nipping and kissing all the pale skin he could find. He could almost hear their moans and pants filling the room as he took him against the nearest available surface.

"Mickey?"

The dark man jumped at the sound of his name, and all previous thoughts fell away. The blond man stared at him, his eyes filled with confusion and self-consciousness and fear.

"Huh?"

Danny sighed and let his head fall forward. He turned and walked further into the bathroom, heading for the full length mirror on the side wall. Mickey's eyes dropped to Danny's fine arse and watched as it moved within the confines of the leather. His mouth went dry and he unconsciously licked his lips. He tore his eyes away from Danny's arse and back to the man himself. He swallowed and scrabbled for something to say.

"I look stupid." Danny mumbled, looking at himself critically in the mirror.

"No you don't." Mickey said immediately. Danny turned to him, not seeming to notice that Mickey's voice was a little higher than usual.

"I do."

Mickey shook his head, his movements a little jerky. "You look...great."

Danny looked unconvinced. He sighed again and shook his head at his mirror image. He started to un-button the shirt, and Mickey looked away just as he slid the shirt off. He turned and leant against the doorframe, feeling himself shake a little. He knew that if he saw Danny naked that he would pounce on the other man. He also knew that if he did that, Danny would run a mile and Mickey couldn't take that. Not now.

He heard the leather drag across Danny's skin and it took all of his willpower not to look and not to touch. He knew there was nothing underneath the trousers, and that thought taunted him cruelly. The dark man clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms to stop himself from grabbed Danny. His mind was betraying him and showing him images of Danny naked and Danny fucking him and him fucking Danny. He was so hard, and he just wanted Danny to go home so he could—

Home.

"Why haven't you been going home?"

The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. The rustling stopped and everything was silent. The only noise he could hear was Danny's steady breathing and his slightly quicker breaths.

"What?" Danny whispered. Mickey nearly looked at him then, but he forced himself not to. Danny still wasn't fully dressed and he still wasn't under control.

He swallowed, "You haven't been going home at night."

"H-how did you know?" the blond stuttered.

"I found you sleeping in the armchair a couple of times." Mickey responded. "And your bag in here with all your stuff in it."

It was silent for a few seconds and then Danny blew out his breath explosively. The bags became noisy again as Danny threw his clothes back into them, obviously not bothering to fold them.

"I don't have one." He said gruffly. Mickey frowned at his words and risked a glance at the male. He was just sliding his t-shit over his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't have one!" Danny said angrily. He looked at Mickey and then sighed, the anger immediately draining out of him. He sat down heavily on the closed lid of the toilet seat and ran his hands over his face. "The landlord threw me out."

"Why?" Mickey asked, his frown deepening. Danny shrugged and stared at the floor.

"He didn't give me a reason. He just told me to get my stuff and get out."

"But...he can't do that." Mickey said, pushing off the door frame and walking into the bathroom. Danny looked up at him.

"He has, and there's nothing I can do about it."

They stared at each other and Mickey sat down on the marble steps that encased the bath.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Danny broke the eye contact then to stare at the floor and he shrugged.

"Danny?" Mickey pushed. He was silent for a while, and Mickey wondered if he was going to answer at all.

"I didn't want you thinking I was more of a screw up than I already am." He finally said.

Mickey stared at him, mouth agape. "Is that how you think I see you? As a screw up?"

"It's true, though, innit." He mumbled.

"No, Danny, it's not true." Mickey said, disbelief colouring his voice. Danny looked up, his eyes connecting with Mickey's again. "I don't think you are a screw up. I've never thought that."

"Really? What about Frank Gorely? I really fucked that one up." The blond man said bitterly, looking over to the wall.

"It was an accident, Danny. No-one knew—"

"That's not the point, though, is it?" he interrupted. "The point is that you let me join this crew, even though you didn't know me. You let me take the lead on a con, and what do I do? I go and get shot, that's what I do. I'm a screw up, Mickey, and I still don't know why you have kept me here."

Mickey was stunned. He hadn't realised that Danny had been feeling that way for that long. It hurt him that Danny hadn't told him all of this when it first started, because it felt like the blond didn't trust him enough.

"Danny, look at me." He said softly. After a few seconds, Danny hesitantly looked up to meet Mickey's eyes again. "I want you to listen very carefully, ok?" Danny nodded slowly.

"You are not a screw up. You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last to make a mistake on a con. You want to know why I keep you around?" Danny nodded. "I keep you around because you are a damn good grifter. You were born to do this and it shows. The reason why you make mistakes is because you are still learning. While instinct and spontaneity are good, sometimes a plan is needed. The rules are there for a reason." When Danny grimaced, Mickey smiled. "Your 'Grift Sense' is bang on every single time and I can't fault it. If I didn't think you could do this then I wouldn't have agreed to have you in the crew."

Danny stared at Mickey for a few seconds before a small smile stole over his lips.

"Thanks, Mickey." He said.

Mickey smiled back. "No problem."

"Actually, there is." Danny responded, looking sheepish. Mickey frowned.

"What's that?"

"I don't have anywhere to live."

"Yes you do." Mickey said, smiling again. "Here with the rest of us."

Danny snorted, "You might not have noticed, but I've been sleeping on the sofa for the past two weeks. There's no room here for me."

"I did notice, Danny." Mickey said, rolling his eyes. "I'll sort something out."

"How?"

"That's not for you to worry about." Mickey answered. "You want my bed for tonight?"

Danny shook his head, "Nah, I'll be ok with the sofa."

"Sure?" Danny nodded, "Ok, then go ring room service and ask them for an extra blanket and pillow."

The blond nodded again and made his way out of the bathroom with his bags. Mickey watched him go, his eyes wandering over his back to his arse. The images of Danny in those clothes returned again and he groaned softly. He was going to need a shower. A very _cold_ shower.


	5. Chapter 5

_Edited: 27/03/2007_

* * *

**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,419  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

* * *

**Part 5**

The next day was a flurry of activity. Mickey had told them to get up, get dressed and get packed. They were moving out of the Hotel. Stacie put up a bit of a fight, but she hadn't the time to argue. She was starting her job at The Bentley today and she needed to be there for eight that morning. She packed her stuff and gave it to Mickey to take with them. Mickey told her that someone would pick her up when she had finished.

She was just on her way out and Mickey stopped to asses her. She was wearing a black pencil skirt that was tight, but not overly so, and a pink silk blouse covered by a black tailored jacket. Her hair was tied neatly in a loose bun at the back of her head, held securely by a set of black chopsticks. She came across as the kind of woman that wouldn't let anyone walk over her. She gave as good as she got, and then some. Even Mickey wouldn't push her too far because he knew she would come down on him hard, Vampire or not.

She grabbed her fake ID from Ash and kissed the other man on the cheek, picking up her black handbag from the table.

"See you later, boys." She called over her shoulder as she made her way out.

"Good luck." Mickey said.

"Like I need it." She said, closing the door behind her.

"Right, the plan of action." Mickey said, addressing the three men. "Ash, I need you to keep in contact with Stacie and find out the room Rayner is staying in. Danny, you need to meet Callum at eleven at Eddie's. He's letting you use the Function Room for your...training."

"Wait," Danny said, frowning, "Eddie has a Function Room?"

Mickey rolled his eyes and didn't answer. "Albert and I are going to follow Rayner for a bit and see what he gets up to."

They nodded and agreed. Mickey settled the bill at the reception desk, paying with the pickings from their last big con. Ash managed to grab a car from the car park underneath the hotel using a stolen Valet jacket. Danny and Albert smirked at him as they got into the car, Albert in the passenger seat and Danny and Ash in the back. They watched as the bellhops loaded their luggage into the boot of the car, and as soon as the boot shut Mickey pulled away, leaving three very disgruntled men behind.

"So where we going then?" Danny asked from the back. Mickey looked up and their eyes connected through the rear-view mirror for a few seconds before Mickey looked back to the road again.

"I made a few calls last night." he said, turning into another road. "I found a place that was big enough for all of us."

"Ok, so who's the owner and how long have we got until they find out?" the blond asked. Mickey smirked knowingly.

"Don't worry, Danny. It's all taken care of."

The blond frowned and sat back in his seat, "Yeah, you say that, but the next thing you know we've been surrounded by coppers and the owners' on the doorstep demanding rent."

Mickey snorted. "Relax, Danny. We have the place for as long as we need it. It's a favour from an old friend."

The blond hummed uncertainly, but didn't say any more. It wasn't long before they pulled up to a tall white building with rows upon rows of windows. Above the double rotating doors was a big dome running about a metre from the building itself and displaying the words 'The Radcliff' in gold lettering. A short red carpet was rolled out from the door to the edge of the pavement. Danny's eyebrows rose as he looked upon the building.

Mickey opened the car and got out, Albert, Ash and Danny followed his lead. A couple of porters walked briskly past them and went to empty the car of their luggage. Mickey walked up to the reception desk.

"We're in the Penthouse." He said to the brown haired woman behind the counter. The woman smiled at him and tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

"Mr Stone?" Mickey nodded, "We were told to expect you. My name's Natalie." She said, standing from her chair and holding her hand out across the counter. Mickey smiled at her and took it, bestowing a polite kiss to the pale knuckles. The woman giggled slightly and Mickey let go of her hand. "I'll tell the porters to take your luggage up for you. In the mean time, there are three sets of keys available for the apartment, but if you need more cut, then we'll do that for you. I understand there are five of you." Mickey nodded again, "Then we'll get two extra keys for you."

"Thank you, Natalie." Mickey said.

"Not at all, sir," she said, "It's my job. Now, would you like me to show you upstairs?"

"No, that won't be necessary."

"Ok, sir." She replied, "The lift is just down the hall on the left."

Mickey smiled and thanked her again, moving away from the front desk and walked towards the hall.

"Oh, Mr Stone!" Natalie called out. Mickey told the other three to carry on up and he turned and made his way back to the desk. The woman smiled at him and moved from behind the desk to meet him in the middle of the foyer.

"Now, there's a small cooler filled with enough blood packets to last you and Mr Stroller a few weeks. It's in an inconspicuous cupboard under the work surface. There's also a safe in the wall behind the painting of the vase of lilies."

"Thank you," he said, smiling. She smiled back at him and nodded.

"No trouble at all, Sir."

* * *

It took Danny two days to realise what exactly he'd let himself in for, and two minutes to realise that maybe he had made a mistake. Even if he had, he couldn't go back on it now. The plans were being drawn and things were going smoothly. Well, almost smoothly. There was one problem. And that problem was Danny himself.

Up until two days ago, he thought he could deal with it. Then came the clothes, which made him slightly uncomfortable, but it was nothing he couldn't get over. It was everything else that was making him freak out.

Danny Blue had never touched another guy in a sexual way before. He'd never even _looked_ at another guy that way, and now he had to learn to be comfortable with touching and being touched by other men in the space of a week.

"This really isn't going to work."

Callum rolled his eyes and sighed, letting his eye close and his head fall back.

"It has too, Danny."

"I'm really not the right person to be doing this." Danny said nervously, falling into a near by chair.

"If you weren't the right person, Mickey wouldn't have put you here!" Callum said irritably.

"He didn't." Danny said, almost deflated.

"Right!" Callum barked, "That is it!"

Danny flinched and raised his startled wide blue eyes just in time to see Callum charging towards him. He got out of his chair and tried to back away but he wasn't quick enough. The other male roughly grabbed his arms and slammed him against the nearest wall, pinning him with his weight. Danny was too stunned to do anything but stay put and look terrified.

"I want you to listen, Danny Blue, because you desperately need to hear what I have to say." He growled, staring straight into the wide and impossibly blue depths of the young man. "You need to get over these insecurities. You are good at what you do, and you know it. You have got to stop trying to prove yourself to others. It's only you who gets hurt when they shoot you down. You can do this, you just need to forget everything and concentrate on doing what you have to do."

Without warning, Callum's lips descended on his hard and fast and Danny didn't know what was going on. Danny's mouth opened under Callum's, and the other man brutally kissed him, pistoning his tongue in and out of his mouth. And before it had really begun, the kiss ended with both men panting and leaning heavily into the wall. Callum's iron grip on his arms loosened and there was a moment of pain as the blood rushed through nearly crushed veins.

"I'm sorry." He said, still breathing hard. The dark haired man backed up slightly, and Danny let his head fall back to the wall.

"No," the blond said. "No, don't be. I think I needed that."

Callum looked up just as Danny looked down. They stared at each other for a second before smiles spread across their lips and laughter bubbled out of their mouths. Needless to say the next few days were easier on both men. Danny became more confident and actually listened to Callum, taking on board all the hints and tips that the other man gave him. Callum found that his little talk with Danny had made the blond think a bit more and the dark haired man could see the difference in him the next day.

The rest of the week flew by, and Danny made great progress. He left his insecurities behind him and tried his very best to follow Callum's instructions. Their time was filled with awkward moments and long pauses, but Danny was nothing if determined. By the end of the week Callum was finally convinced that he could pull it off and was proud of Danny for all the effort he'd put in.

Saturday was the last day of Danny's training, and Callum was actually sad that he wasn't going to see the young blond again. He'd got quite attached to the other male over the past week, and that scared him somewhat. He had rules, ever since his first time on the game. Just a list of rules that kept him at a distance from other people. There were only a handful of people that he'd let the rules slide for, Ash Morgan being one of them. He'd let down all his barriers for Ash and told him things that hardly anyone but himself knew. Ash was the kind of person that made you do that, and he didn't mind telling him about his life. He knew nothing would ever come of it, the man was clearly still madly in love with his wife, soon to be ex-wife, but it was nice to talk to someone.

Danny Blue was another person that Callum could easily let the rules slide for. He was funny, charismatic, a bit of a jack-the-lad type of guy that wasn't afraid to try anything once. Normally, Callum wouldn't let himself get sucked in by all that; Lord knows how many clients had tried to win him over with their personality. But Danny was different. Danny wasn't trying to win him over, he just did it naturally.

It was 8pm and Danny was just about to leave. Callum bit his lip and decided to go against everything he'd taught himself not to do.

"Danny!" He called out, just as the other man was walking towards the door. The blond turned around at his call.

"What?"

Callum said nothing. He just walked towards Danny with purposeful strides. Danny frowned and was about to ask what was going on, but by that time, Callum was only a few inches away from him and his lips had already covered his. Danny's eyes fluttered shut and he kissed Callum back, just like he was taught. But something was different. This kiss didn't feel like the others that had passed between them. They were all about practice and technique. This wasn't.

Callum's lips left his, and Danny opened his eyes again to stare into the deep depths of the dark eyes. He could feel Callum's breath on his lips, an indication of how close they actually were. His hand was warm around the back of his neck, and the stroking of his thumb was hypnotic. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, and Danny watched as if in a dream as Callum leaned back in and pressed their lips together. Again, Danny's eyes closed and he opened his mouth under Callum's, letting the other man's tongue glide across his. This wasn't just a test to see how well he would have coped with another guy kissing him out of the blue. This was real.

And Danny coped with that fact surprisingly well, judging by the way he was kissing back. This past week had been an eye opener, and Danny became comfortable with kissing and touching Callum. This kiss though, was asking more of him than Danny wanted, and the blond distantly thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. However, all rational though drifted away as Callum's hand placed itself on his chest and slowly slid down to his waist, anchoring there for a few minutes. Slowly he pulled up the hem of the t-shirt Danny was wearing and slid his fingers under it to touch his bare skin.

Danny moaned at the touch, but continued to kiss the other man. That was until his brain suddenly connected with his body again and the image of a dark skinned man with dark eyes that spoke of cunning plans whizzed across his mind.

Mickey.

Danny's eyes snapped open and he pulled back from Callum's lips with a frown on his face. Callum's eyes opened again and they stood there staring at each other again, both panting heavily but each with different looks on their faces. Danny looked confused and slightly angry, but Callum didn't know weather it was directed at him or not. Callum just looked a little crestfallen and apologetic. The dark haired man stepped back, taking his hands away from Danny's body.

"I'm sorry, Danny." He said, regaining his breath. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, you shouldn't."

Both of them turned around towards the door where the owner of the voice stood. Undisguised anger poured from his eyes and was directed firmly at Callum. The man in question met his eyes and refused to back down. It was Danny who broke the silence and voiced the name of man in shocked confusion.

"Mickey..."


	6. Chapter 6

_Edited: 27/03/2007_

**

* * *

**

**Rating:** **FRAO/NC-17**  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,425  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

**

* * *

**

**Part 6**

The ride back to the hotel was tense to say the least. Danny sat in the passenger seat, staring out of the window. He hadn't moved an inch since he sat in the vehicle. Mickey refused to even look in his direction and his hands convulsed periodically around the leather steering wheel. He was angry, but not at Danny. He could never be angry at Danny. He wasn't even angry at Callum, although he was jealous of the fact that the other man got to kiss Danny and he didn't. No, he was more angry at himself.

Not a word passed between them on the journey back to the hotel, nor did they speak when they arrived, or when got out of the car, or even when they made their way up to the penthouse in the lift. When they both entered the apartment, Danny headed straight for his room and closed the door. Mickey headed towards the balcony, his whole demeanour giving everyone the 'leave me alone' vibe.

Danny fell face-forward onto the bed, the air in his lungs coming out with a 'whoosh'. He spent about a minute in that position before he rolled over on to his back. He felt Mickey's anger, could taste it almost, and Danny hated it. He hated the fact that Mickey was angry at him. He shouldn't have kissed Callum back; he should have just backed away and...

Danny frowned. _Wait a minute...why am I defending myself? Since when have I been bothered about what Mickey thinks?_

'Since this whole thing started...' said the voice in the back of his head. His frown deepened.

_But why? I've never been bothered before, so why now?_

Callum's words floated through his brain. //_You have got to stop trying to prove yourself to others_//. That was easier said than done. He would always be trying to prove himself to Mickey. He didn't know what it was about him, but Danny always felt the need to impress him. _Why Mickey?_

'Because you _like_ him...'

Danny eyes widened and he shook his head as if to get rid of the thought. _No, I'm _not _going there. Not even going to _touch_ that!_

'But you want to—"

_Shut up!_

The voice went quiet and Danny sighed. He rolled his head around to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was nearly 9:30pm and strangely enough, Danny was tired. He heaved himself off the bed, stripped to his boxers and slid under the sheets, not bothering to do anything else. Before he knew it he was dead to the world.

* * *

Mickey stared at the city below him, seeing it from yet another angle but at the same time not truly seeing it. He was so mixed up, and that was very unusual for Mickey. He prided himself on being cool and collected, but when it came to Danny, his emotions went haywire and he found it hard to keep them under control. But then, he'd always been that way around Daniel, why would it be any different with Danny? 

When he saw Danny and Callum kissing at Eddie's, Mickey's heart nearly broke. It felt like he'd been betrayed, like his heart had been ripped out. It hurt so much to watch Danny kiss the other man and to see him enjoy it. It should be him that Danny was kissing, not Callum. Only he has the right to touch Danny, to kiss Danny, to be with Danny.

But he didn't have the right. He didn't have anything over Danny. They weren't bonded; Danny didn't even know that he was Mickey's mate, and that was what hurt Mickey the most; the fact that he didn't know. Albert had told him to tell Danny about his true nature, to tell him what Danny was to him. Mickey didn't think he could actually do it. He didn't think he could live if Danny refused to believe or hated him because of his nature. If he ever saw that kind of disgust in the blonde's eyes he knew that he would ask Albert to dust him. He wouldn't be able to wait for Danny's next incarnation, if he incarnated at all.

"I wouldn't do it."

Mickey didn't need to turn around to know who it was, and he wasn't all that surprised when the older man picked up on what he was thinking.

"Then I'd find someone who would." He answered.

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't live knowing that he hated me." he responded. He heard the man behind him sigh in defeat and go back inside the apartment. Mickey stayed out there for a while longer before turning back and heading to his room. He shut the door behind him.

* * *

_Daniel pulled the thick woollen coat tighter around his body in an attempt to block out the freezing cold air. It was early January and the cold snap looked set to last for a long while yet. He supposed it was his own fault for being out so late at night. He stood on London Bridge, looking out onto the frozen Thames, lit only by a few lanterns that hung from the bridge itself. He smiled as he watched an elderly man skate across the ice as though he'd been doing it for years. Daniel snorted, the hot air turning white as it met with the cold of outside. He probably **had** been doing it for years. He guessed that this man, in his long black coat with long coattails and a black top hat, had been out on the ice every day since it had frozen for nearly every winter he had seen. _

"_What are you doing?" _

_Hot breath skated across his ear and the shiver that made its way through his body wasn't entirely from the cold. He felt a hand join his in his coat pocket and Daniel moved to accommodate the extra appendage, twisting so he could twine their fingers together. _

"_Watching." Daniel answered, keeping his eyes on the man below them on the ice. Soft lips kissed the exposed skin of his throat and Daniel hissed and jerked away slightly. _

"_What?" the other asked with a smile. _

"_You've got a bloody cold nose, that's what." Daniel mumbled, smiling to take the sting out of the words. _

"_Do you have any idea what time it is?" the other asked him lightly. Daniel shook his head. "It's nearly midnight. Time for you to come home."_

_Daniel turned to look at his lover. Dark eyes twinkled with promises of what would come of the rest of the night if he were to go home, and the cheeky smile only reinforced it. He smiled and lifted his free hand to stroke a finger of the dark skin of his lover's cheek. No-one was around except the man on the ice and he couldn't see them. He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to his lovers. _

"_Love you." Daniel mumbled against the dark, faintly chapped lips. His partner smiled and kissed him again. _

"_Love you too." He replied. Daniel let go of the hand on his pocket and his lover slid it out. They smiled at each other before tuning and walking back home, silently telling each other with their eyes what they were going to do and how much they were going to make each other scream. _

-x-

_Danny moaned as the dexterous tongue slid sinfully down from his collar bone all the way to his belly button. He threw his head back and moaned once more as the slick muscle dipped into it, the sensation heading straight to his groin._

"_Mickey..." he breathed, unable to say anything else. The dark man's eyes flicked up just as Danny looked down, and the look that sparkled in the deep brown eyes all but took Danny's breath away. A wicked grin spread across Mickey's lips and he moved his tongue further down, past his belly button and to the soft skin underneath it. Danny watched as the long pink muscle followed the trail of dark blonde hair all the way to his groin. Mickey hovered above his straining cock, the full brown lips dangerously close to the head. So close, in fact, that Danny could feel his breath cooling the pre cum that had collected around the head, and it was nearly killing him. He whimpered, and Mickey gave him a small smile before swooping down and engulfing him in slick, wet heat. _

_Danny's back arched and he screamed out as Mickey's mouth expertly sucked and licked his way around his cock. Large, soft hands covered his hip bones and pushed down to stop him thrusting further into the heat. Both of them knew that it wouldn't be long before Danny lost it, and when Mickey deep-throated him he came with a scream. Mickey swallowed it down and pulled off the now spent cock. He lapped up some of the spilled seed and made his way back up Danny's prone body, kissing him deeply and letting the blonde taste himself. Sleepily, Danny kissed back, his eyes drifting closed and his breath evening out. _

* * *

Mickey smiled and pushed some wayward blonde hairs from Danny's eyes. _That certainly was an experience, one I'd love to repeat_. But Mickey knew that he had only made it harder for himself. Mickey had never touched Danny like that, even when he knew that it was Daniel. He had always distanced himself from the blonde, and he knew that most of time he came off as disapproving of him. 

Tonight, though, he couldn't resist. The beautiful sounds that came from that mouth enticed him, called out to him like Siren to a sailor. He opened the door, and the sight that met him would be replayed again and again through his dreams. Danny, writhing around on the bed, the sheets clinging to his sweat-soaked skin and his cock standing proud, encased in the white sheet. That wasn't something that Mickey could just walk away from, and not caring about the potential consequences, he strode into the room and closed the door behind him. Flinging back the sheets, he fell to his knees beside the bed and carefully slid Danny's boxers off his hips, freeing the ridged member from its confines. He took a moment to observe its beauty, his eyes taking in the velvety soft flesh and the head glistening with pre-cum. His breath skated across the head, and it quivered before his eyes. Mickey couldn't take it anymore and without any hesitation, swallowed the thick member down to the root.

Danny arched off the bed with a scream that never made it past his lips, and Mickey revelled in the fact that he was the one that caused such a reaction. The taste of Danny exploded on his tongue, and Mickey moaned quietly in the back of his throat. It was Daniel, but at the same time it was uniquely Danny too and no other words could describe what he tasted like. Mickey bobbed his head up and down, running his tongue along the underside on the upstroke. Mickey had dreamed of doing this so many times that he had lost count over the years, but now he was actually doing it, and it was incredible.

He saw Danny's hand clench hard around the bed sheets, and Mickey knew instinctively that Danny was so close now. He relaxed his throat muscles and deep-throated him, taking his cock as far down his throat as possible. Danny's back arched clear off the bed and he came hard down Mickey's throat. The dark man pulled back and swallowed as much as he could, letting some escape down the side of Danny's cock. Danny fell back to the bed, and Mickey licked up all what he had missed. He carefully slid the boxers back up and pulled the sheets over him. Without thinking, he leaned over and kissed Danny deeply. The blonde responded, but only for a minute before dropping off again.

It was lucky, Mickey mused, that Danny hadn't fully come-to, or he might just have been in a very tricky situation. He stood up and watched Danny sleep for a few seconds longer before leaving the room.

And if Danny noticed the door was open slightly the next morning, he didn't mention it.

* * *

Danny clutched the china mug in both hands and sipped the steaming hot coffee, trying his hardest not to think about what happened last night. The first dream had been strange to say the least; it didn't even look like it was set in the right time. It seemed like it was in the past, which was stupid because it was 2005, not the nineteen hundreds. 

But that didn't bother him as much as the second dream did. That dream consisted of him having sex. With Mickey. Danny didn't know whether that was too many days spent with Callum, or his sub-conscious trying to tell him something, but either way he was quite disturbed. He'd never had an erotic dream about a man before, so, he reasoned, it was ok to be a little bit freaked out. I mean it wasn't as if he enjo—

Ok, so that's a complete and utter lie. He enjoyed it, perhaps a little too much, and he just knew that he wouldn't be able to look Mickey in the eye now.

"Morning Danny."

The blonde jumped and looked up, startled. Blue eyes met deep brown for long moments before a dark blush coloured the blonde cheeks and he looked away quickly. He stood and made his way back to his room, closing the door with more force than necessary.

"What's up with him?"

Mickey turned to see Stacie standing next to him, looking at Danny's door with a frown. Mickey shook his head and shrugged, moving the kitchen to make some breakfast. He kept his expression neutral and feigned ignorance. Or course he knew what was bothering their youngest member, but he wasn't about to divulge that information to her.

Meanwhile, Danny sat on the edge of his bed, shaking like a leaf and as hard as a rock. He couldn't go on like this. He briefly wondered whether there was a way of escaping for a few days without raising suspicion, but that thought was laid to rest when Danny caught a glimpse of his alarm clock.

It was Saturday. Tonight would be the night they had to meet Rex Rayner.

Danny gulped.

The con was on.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rating:** **FRT – FRAO (This chapter FRAO/NC-17)**  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions, bad language  
**Word Count:** 3,984  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

**Author's Note:** (sighs) Finally, a new chapter! All I can say is that I'm so sorry about leaving this for so long. I got stuck on this chapter and left it for a looooong time. It's only been recently that I've overcome the block and write three more chapters! This is the first of the new chapters, the next will be soon.

I've also **EDITED** all previous chapters, so if you want to go back and read them, please do. No major changes, just correcting mistakes and changing bits around. A spring clean if you like. (grins) All edited chapters will be marked as such.

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**Part 7**

Danny fidgeted in the back seat of car, his hands nervously scratching the back of his neck. Mickey, who was sat next to him, sighed and reached for his hand, moving it from his neck and back into his lap. Danny moved his eyes from the window to Mickey.

"Calm down, Danny." He said. "Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Danny would have disagreed if it had been anyone else but Mickey. The look in the dark mans eyes calmed him, but Danny couldn't have said why. He nodded and Mickey's lips turned up slightly in a ghost of his usual smile. His hands left Danny's and the blonde almost whimpered at the loss of the warmth they gave him. Almost.

"Everyone know what they are doing?" Mickey said, looking towards the rear-view mirror. Danny followed his gaze and saw Ash look up from the road for a second and then back, nodding his head. "Good." He turned back to Danny. "You got the pills?"

The blonde nodded and patted his pocket. Hidden inside was a slim packet half full of white powder. It was only crushed sleeping pills, but he knew how it would look if anyone found it.

The car stopped and Danny and Mickey got out. Mickey pushed the door shut and went around to the driver's side to talk to Ash while Danny just stared at the imposing building in front of him. The Bentley Hotel was big, posh and swimming in luxury. Two years ago, Danny would have been amazed at the grandeur, but since joining the crew he'd stayed in hotels like this mostly everyday. Well, when there was room, anyway. When there wasn't, he went back to his pokey little flat in the crappy end of London.

A large hand touched the base of his back and Danny turned his head. Mickey looked at him, and Danny nodded, moving away from the hand and towards the big hotel. They walked through the revolving doors and Danny was surprised at the heat that met them. He glanced upwards and saw the strip heaters above the doors. He hadn't realised how cold it was outside, especially for March.

He looked around the large foyer. A few people stared at him, and he didn't blame them really. He wasn't exactly dressed...modestly in tight leather trousers and an almost see-through open necked shirt. He watched Mickey go to the reception desk and lean against it casually, smilling smoothly to the woman at the computer. Jealously stole over him for a second, before he mentally shook it off. The woman smile at him and pointed over to the left, where Danny assumed they were to wait. Mickey smiled again and thanked her, leaving her with a little wink before turning back to Danny.

"The bar." He said, twitching his head in the direction the receptionist had pointed them. The blonde nodded and walked just behind the dark man as they made their way to the bar. They went straight to the bar and Mickey ordered their drinks.

The blonde turned his back to the bar and leaned back against it on his elbows. His eyes slowly moved around the room, taking in the people and their activities. He saw the looks that were sent his way; not all of them nice either. An older gentleman, probably around his late fifties, sat in a comfy-looking armchair in the corner opposite the bar. He was shaking his head in disgust and moving his eyes back to the broadsheet paper he had been reading. A couple of women sat at a small round table were making eyes at him; twin sultry smiles playing around their lips. Danny smiled back and gave them a wink, before turning back around to face the bar again.

Was this what Callum had to put up with? The conflict of disgust and lust?

"Ahh, you must be Mr Sykes."

Danny turned to his left to see the speaker, who was currently making his way over to them. Sharp features made up the man's face and thin lips were turned up in a seemingly warm smile. His dark hair had a natural wave to it and was perfectly cut and styled.

"Please, call me Evan," Mickey said, smiling back and holding out his hand. "You must be Mr Rayner."

"Rex." The other man said, taking Mickey's hand.

"This," Mickey said, turning towards Danny, "is Luke. He's new to the scene."

Rex's eyes moved to the blonde and stayed there for at least two whole minutes. The dark brown orbs filled with lust as they raked up and down his body, taking in everything there was to see. Danny barely suppressed the shiver of revulsion that threatened to break free at the look. He really was not looking forward to tonight.

"Well, hello Luke." He said, stepping closer to the blonde. Danny pushed all of his feelings aside and concentrated on his role. He smiled in response and returned to his earlier position against the bar, leaning against his elbows and pushing his hips out. Rex's tongue darted out to wet his lips and he swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"Shall we sit down?"

Rex snapped out of his little lustful daydream and smiled at Mickey, nodding his head in agreement. He turned and led them through the large, open-plan area to a little snug at the back of the room. A rectangular shaped coffee table was surrounded by a three red armchairs and one two-seater couch. They took the three armchairs, settling down in them. They talked amicably about neutral subjects; the weather, current affairs, so on and so forth. Danny noticed Rex's eyes sliding over him from time to time, checking him out. Sometimes, the other man would lean over for his drink and surreptitiously touch his leg or knee.

"God, is that the time?" Mickey said, turning his wrist over to look at his watch. He gave an apologetic smile to Rex, "I'm sorry, I need to get going."

The other man nodded in understanding and held out his hand, "That's quite alright, Evan. It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Rex." He stood, shook his hand and winked, "Have fun, won't you?"

Rex's smile was wicked, "I'm sure I will." He said, letting go of Mickey's hand. The dark man gave Danny a look before walking back out the way they came. Danny wanted Mickey to come back, but he knew that if he did the plan would all go to pot.

A warm hand slid over his thigh, just above his knee. Danny looked at the pale appendage and plastered a sexy smirk on his face. He was drawing on what Callum taught him and using it to his advantage. The smile was returned and Rex stood, beckoning Danny with his index finger before walking towards the doors. Danny downed the rest of his drink and followed, catching up with Rex at the lift. They stood in silence until the lift pinged and the doors slid open. Rex entered first, Danny following, and they both stood side by side in silence until the doors closed again.

Once they did, Danny's back found the metal wall of the lift and his lips were taken in a rough and bruising kiss. The blonde kissed back, his hands gripping Rex's upper arms as his hands wandered across his body. Danny could feel Rex's erection through his trousers and his own throbbed in answer. He might not like the man, but the way his body reacted couldn't be helped. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Mickey instead of Rex. He didn't know why, but that made it better some how.

Lips travelled down his neck and Danny moved his head to accommodate them. Hips thrust into one another; moans and pants filling the air. His shirt was opened in no time at all it seemed, as were his trousers and before he could protest, a hand slid inside and gripped his cock firmly. All he could do was moan as the hand moved quickly over his aching member.

"So beautiful." Rex panted, and Danny's eyes opened a crack to see the other man staring at him. "So fucking beautiful."

Danny moaned and he let his head fall back with a thump, thrusting his hips into Rex's willing hand. The hand sped up, and just as Danny was nearing the bright lights of his orgasm, the hand left. Danny panted and looked over to Rex, who was once again drinking in the sight of him. Danny could only imagine what he looked like; flushed skin, hard and leaking cock standing proud from the opening of his trousers, sweat beading on his forehead.

His tongue darted out and swiped his upper lip, tasting the salty sweat that had gathered there. He almost laughed when Rex swallowed hard at the action, but he opted for smirking instead. Rex couldn't get his trousers open fast enough, but when he did he pressed himself against Danny again. His hand slid around to his arse, where he squeezed before sliding down the back of his thigh and pulling it upwards. Rex thrust into Danny and without thinking Danny matched him. They started slow, but the pace quickened as their slick cocks rubbed against each other. Rex's grip on Danny's thigh turned fierce and his thrusts became hard. Danny hardly noticed; he just wanted to cum so badly.

Danny's fingers dug into the suit jacket and held on tight as his orgasm hit, sending white streams of cum over his and Rex's abdomen. Rex grunted as he came a few seconds after Danny. Rex's forehead fell forward to rest of the cool metal of the wall. They stayed like that for a few seconds, panting for breath. Danny looked up to see the floor number and distantly thought that they had been lucky that no-one else wanted the lift.

Rex moved back slightly and Danny saw him smirk at him. He carefully tucked himself back inside his trousers and zipped himself up, before doing the same to Danny. The lift stopped, and the doors opened with a ping. The dark haired man smirked at him before leaving Danny in the lift. The blonde pushed himself off the wall and carefully peeked around the corner to see if anyone was in the hallway.

"There's only one room up here," Rex called, not turning back. Danny blinked and quickly left the lift, following Rex into the Penthouse suite.

The suite itself was very similar to the suite Mickey and crew were staying in when he had first met them. An open plan living room and dining room, a decent size kitchen and breakfast bar, and bedrooms rooms off to the one side. All neutral colours and expensive furnishings. It was nice, but nothing he hadn't already seen before.

Rex caught his attention again. He had stripped out of his jacket, which was now thrown across the back of the sofa in the living room, and he was now unbuttoning his shirt. Once the buttons were undone, he quickly undone the cuffs and slid the shirt off completely, revealing a pale and lightly muscled body underneath. He threw the shirt towards his jacket and turned back to Danny.

The blonde smirked. It was time to work his magic.

He moved towards the man gracefully, swaying his hips as he walked. He moved right up close to Rex, taking up his personal space. He laid a hand on the smooth chest and slowly trailed his finger down the line of his chest to the waistband of his trousers and up again.

"Bedroom?" he asked in a whisper. Rex smiled and walked backwards towards the room. Danny followed.

Rex backed himself to the bed and as soon as his knees hit the back of it he fell, landing on the soft bed with a bounce. Danny smiled and straddled his lap, circling his hips with a smirk. Rex gasped slightly and thrust upwards, letting Danny feel his awakening erection. Danny laughed throatily and leaned forward to kiss Rex chastely.

"I need a drink." He said, and promptly got off Rex's lap.

"Drinks cabinet's in the dining room." He said, laughing slightly. Danny nodded and walked out.

He pulled open the doors and pulled the little table out. He quickly found a bottle of whisky and two tumblers. He poured the drinks, setting the whisky bottle back before reaching into his pocket and drawing out the little plastic baggie. He opened it carefully and tipped it into one of the glasses, glancing at the bedroom door to see if Rex was coming. He wasn't, and Danny managed to get all of the power into the glass. He put the bag back into his pocket and he swirled the liquid around in the glass to dissolve the powder.

He carefully picked up the other glass; making sure to remember which one had the powder in, and walked back into the bedroom. Rex was now flat out on the bed, devoid of any clothes and stroking his engorged cock lazily. Danny shivered, and this time, it wasn't in disgust. He took his glass and downed it, feeling the burn of the spirit straight down to his stomach. He walked over to the bed and offered Rex his glass. The dark haired man took it with his free hand and did the same without stopping the stroking. He sat up, finally taking his hand away from his cock and took Danny's tumbler from him. He set them both down on the bedside table and grabbed Danny, pulling him to the bed.

It was Rex's turn to do the straddling now. His hands gripped Danny's wrists and held them to the bed as he moved backwards and forwards over his throbbing crotch. Danny didn't think he'd ever been this hard in his life. Rex started moving faster and faster, moaning and gasping as his cock was stimulated. Danny lifted his hips to meet him, and again, Rex stopped moving. Danny whimpered, and Rex grinned. He moved off Danny, and stood, unzipping Danny's leather trousers and pulling them down.

The blonde almost hissed when his cock was released from its confines. He was so hard, and god damn it, he needed this. The stress of the past few days had been building, and the dream about Mickey had just topped it all off. He needed some kind of release, and this was it. It didn't matter who it was or who he wanted it to be, he was here and he was doing things to him that made Danny's head spin.

Rex mounted him again, and Danny's hands automatically came up to hold his hips firmly. Rex was moving again, this time so tantalisingly slow that Danny nearly went mad. That was when he decided to start talking.

"You know what I want?" Rex said, his voice low and dangerous and oh so hot. "I want to fuck your pretty little brains out." He thrust hard and Danny whimpered. "I want to sink into you hard and fast and I want to come inside of you."

Danny let the words flow over his naked body like silk. His cock twitched painfully with the need to release and he thrust up into Rex. The other man gasped and thrust back.

"God I want you." He said through gritted teeth. "I want to fuck you and pleasure you and hurt you. I want to bruise you and make you bleed!" He shouted, his hips snapping back and forth frantically.

The words almost didn't register with Danny because all his mind could think of was his cock. Almost. His eyes snapped open and he stared straight into the dark, bottomless depths of Rex's. He saw the primal instinct behind his eyes, the need to hurt and come all at the same time. Suddenly his hands were ripped from Rex's hips and held firmly, painfully against the mattress above his head. His hips were still moving, the movements more painful than pleasurable. Rex growled low in his throat and raised a hand above his head, the back of it facing Danny.

Danny squeezed his eyes and braced himself for the slap he knew was coming. It didn't come. Instead, Rex fell completely on top of him, winding him a little. Danny opened his eyes and turned his head to the side. Rex was out cold.

_Oh yeah. The sleeping pills_.

And they couldn't have kicked in at a better time. Now Danny understood what Callum was talking about when he said that Rex liked it rough. He carefully rolled Rex off his body and on to the bed and sighed. He ran his hands over his face and stayed still for a minute or so before sitting up. He groaned when he realised he was still hard and stood, grabbing his trousers and leaving the room.

He stopped and thought about what Rex would find when he woke up. Danny had to make it look as though they had had sex to make it look convincing. Waking up naked doesn't necessarily mean that he'd had sex with anyone. Danny sighed, dropped the trousers on the floor and went back into the bedroom. He knelt on the bed, next to the unconscious form of Rex and hesitated. He had to make it look convincing, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to feel right. _Oh stop being such a wimp, Danny, and get on with it._

Mind made up, he straddled Rex's hard cock. Apparently the sleeping pills hadn't affected _that_. Danny smirked and rocked back and forth, mimicking the other mans earlier actions. Their hard members slid together and Danny moaned, throwing his head back. His hips moved faster and faster, his hands moving to the headboard to hold on as his pace quickened. The throbbing in his groin doubled and the need to come was almost overwhelming, but with one last thrust his orgasm broke over him and he came with a whispered name on his lips. Semen splattered against Rex's naked chest and Danny panted. He felt warm wetness on his abdomen and looked down. Rex had also come, but had not woken up.

When he had caught his breath, he carefully moved off Rex's prone form and off the bed entirely. He stood, looking down at the mess on his stomach with distaste. Then he looked out of the open door to his trousers that were lying alone on the floor. He needed to get dressed and look around the apartment.

_But before I do that,_ he thought, looking down at himself again, _I need to have a shower._

* * *

Mickey's mood was dark as he got into the black BMW parked around the side of the hotel. A second later, the car had started and was pulling away from the posh hotel and making it's way back to The Radcliff.

"Go well?"

Mickey looked towards the rear-view and caught Ash's eye for a second. The dark man nodded.

"Yeah."

It had gone well. Really well, and that was what Mickey was worried about. He had seen the way that Rex looked at Danny and his blood had boiled. The need to punch Rex had nearly consumed him, but he forced his own feelings aside for the sake of the con. Now his role in it had finished, his feeling's had flooded through him again. The thought of Rex touching _his_ Danny made him sick to his stomach, and he had to force himself not to grab Danny and run as soon as Rex raked his eyes over him.

But...he wasn't _his_ Danny now, was he?

Mickey sighed and covered his eyes with his hands, pressing his fingers into his closed eyelids.

"He'll be ok, y'know." Ash said, glancing in the rear-view again.

"How do you know?" Mickey asked, not taking his hands away.

"I don't." Ash answered simply, turning a corner, "But I know Danny, and he can take care of himself."

The dark man sighed again, taking his hands from his face and looking out of the window.

"I hope so, Ash." He said quietly, "I really hope so."

* * *

After a quick shower, he had dressed again and started looking around the apartment. He started in the bedroom, because once he was out of that room he knew he didn't want to go back in. He opened every draw and cupboard in the room, still unsure of what he was looking for. They hadn't told him what he was supposed to find, and until now, Danny hadn't thought to ask. But then again, he'd be too preoccupied with Callum and gaining the confidence to play his part in all of this.

_Looks like it paid off, too_, Danny thought.

Danny searched. There was nothing in the bedroom, just the usual bits and pieces a person needs on a daily basis; underwear, socks, clothes, toiletries. Same with the bathroom. And the living room. Nothing...well, nothing incriminating anyway. Danny sighed and entered the kitchen. The draws were fully stocked with cutlery and the cupboards with plates and cups and saucers. The last place left was the fridge.

"Oh, great," he muttered to himself, "So, the last thing I'll ever say before Mickey kills me is that Rex Rayner's favourite food is..." he opened the fridge.

And stared. He blinked, stared, and blinked again before swinging the door shut quickly.

"What...the _fuck_!" he whispered, shock making his eyes wide. He grabbed the handle again and opened the door with a _pop_.

Danny had seen many strange things over the course of his life, but _this_ was just off the wall. On each shelf of the tall silver fridge, lying down in a row, were six bags of blood. He gingerly reached in and picked one out, looking at it as though it were a wild animal ready to pounce him. The labels on the bags told him that they were from a hospital, and in one of the boxes on the label was the blood type. He replaced it and took out another one, which was exactly the same in almost every way. Only the blood type was different. This bag was A positive, whereas the first bag had been B.

_What the **hell** is this guy doing with all these blood packets?_ Danny asked himself. _I mean, fair enough if he had somthin' wrong with him, but he seemed well enough. There isn't any other equipment around to suggest that he has a medical condition. And if he did, all the bags would have to be the same blood type, but they aren't. So what's going on?_

Danny, however, didn't have time to wonder anymore. His eyes caught the clock on the wall and he swore under his breath. He replaced the bag and shut the fridge, making his way to the door. He stopped for a second and bit his lip, thinking.

"Fuck it." He muttered to himself. Heading over to the sofa again, he grabbed Rex's suit jacket and patted the pockets. He smiled briefly when he found what he was looking for and pulled it out. He opened the black leather wallet and stared at the wad of notes that were contained within it. There was a couple of hundred quid there, easily. He emptied it out and folded the notes, roughly shoving them in his pocket before replacing the wallet and walking back to the door.

He quietly made his way out of the building, hoping that nobody saw him. Once safely out and at least a few metres away from the hotel, he sighed and started making his way back to _The Radcliff_.

_Mickey isn't going to be happy with me_, he thought dejectedly as he walked, _Shit._


	8. Chapter 8

**Rating:** FRT – FRAO  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,773  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

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**Part 8**

Mickey looked at his watch for the millionth time that night. It was just turning two o'clock. He sighed and bounced his knee nervously, looking around the room. Stacie was curled up in the corner of the couch, her bare feet tucked under her. She had gone to bed around midnight, but came back out again just after one in her PJ's, clutching a stuffed rabbit close to her chest. She couldn't sleep, she confessed, and settled herself on the couch. Mickey had told her to at least try and get some sleep, but she shook her head and stayed where she was. He smiled at her and nodded.

Ash was at the dining table, tinkering with something Mickey couldn't even give a name too. He had sat himself there straight after returning from the Hotel and he hadn't moved since. Stacie had provided him with a mug of tea, to which he had smiled and thanked her before returning to his little project.

Truth was, they were all worried about the young blonde member of their crew. Stacie might tease him sometimes, and playfully insult him on occasion, but he was still her friend. _No,_ Mickey corrected himself, _he's more than a friend. He's family_. He was the playful and sometimes annoying little brother of their group. The kind of brother that got on your nerves when he was there, but you missed when he wasn't around. Mickey could tell that Ash was worried about him too. The only reason he was busying himself with...whatever it was, was because he was trying to take his mind off Danny.

Mickey's thoughts, however, were consumed by the blonde man. Since the minute he left the hotel, his thoughts had revolved around the younger man's safety. He wanted to know whether he was ok, whether Rex had hurt him, whether the sleeping pills had worked or even if Danny had had the time to use them. He sighed and continued to bounce his knee. He knew that if Rex ever hurt Danny, Mickey would kill him.

A third heartbeat filled his ears, fainter than the other two that were in the room with him. Mickey paused, going completely still. He focused on that heartbeat, and knew instinctively that it was Danny. He stood and made his way to the door, opening it for the younger male. Danny looked up from the floor of the corridor and stopped. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Danny dropped his eyes back to the floor and continued his walk to the door. In those few seconds, Mickey saw so many different emotions pass over his eyes; embarrassment, discontent, fear and anger to name a few.

The dark man moved aside so Danny could enter. As he passed, Mickey picked up on his scent. Sandalwood and Tangerine teased his nose, but it wasn't the only thing he could smell on Danny. Underneath the shower gel, Mickey could smell the lingering scent of sex and semen. Anger bubbled inside of him, but he forced himself to let it go. Danny had a job to do, and he did it. If he had to have sex with Rex, he had to have sex with Rex. Simple as that.

Well, that's what Mickey told himself anyway.

He closed the door and followed the blonde into the living room. He watched as Stacie stood from the couch and went to hug him. Danny wrapped his arms around her and hugged back. Ash also got up and made his way over, throwing Danny a lop-sided smile.

"You ok?" Mickey heard her say into his shoulder. Danny nodded and pulled away from her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Here he turned and looked to Mickey, "You're not going to be too happy though."

"Why?" he asked with a frown. Danny turned away and fell on the sofa with a bounce.

"'Cause I found nothing." He sighed, letting his head fall to the back of the sofa.

"What do you mean?" Albert said, a frown also appearing on his forehead.

"There's nothing. I looked everywhere I could. In cupboards, drawers, side-boards. I looked through every book and every piece of paper I could find, but nothing came up."

Mickey sat down in the armchair he had previously vacated and sighed. He propped his elbows on his knees and let his head fall into his hands.

"Well, if you don't count the blood bags in the fridge." Danny said with a frown, "That was seriously weird."

Mickey froze. He slowly brought his head up from his hands, his eyes staring at Danny.

"Blood bags." Mickey repeated, his voice strange. Danny lifted his head to look at him. The blond nodded, his frown returning when he saw the look on Mickey's face.

"Yeah," He said. He looked between Mickey and Albert, who seemed to have gone very still, "Why? Is that what I was meant to be looking for?"

Mickey didn't answer; he just turned to Albert, his eyes hard. They seemed to hold a silent conversation, which just confused the others in the room.

"We have to check if they know about him." Albert said aloud. After a few seconds, Mickey nodded and stood, grabbing his mobile phone from the coffee table and searching through it.

"Blood bags?" Stacie asked, looking from Mickey to Albert to Danny and back.

"Harry?" Mickey said into the phone. "Where's Arthur?"

"_He's out at the moment. Clan business I think. Can I help you?_"

"Yeah, does the name Rex Rayner mean anything to you?"

"_No, I don't recognise it. Why?_"

"Because he was our mark. And we found a load of blood bags in the fridge." Mickey said. There was a pause on the other end.

"_Damn._"

"Yep," Mickey sighed.

"_Well, he's not been in contact with us as far as I know. I'll check with Severus though and get back to you._" Harry said.

"Ok, thanks."

"_Anytime._" He said. Mickey took the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He then turned to Albert and shook his head.

"He hasn't contacted the Clan, so they don't know anything about him. Harry told me he'd check with Severus though."

"Whoa, hold up!" Stacie said, raising both her hands. "What's going on? What's the meaning of the blood bags?"

Mickey looked at her, and then looked back at Albert, asking him another silent question. The older gentleman shrugged.

"I told you you'd have to tell them sooner or later." He said aloud.

"Tell us what?" Ash said, perching himself on the arm of the sofa.

Mickey sighed, "I think you'd better sit down." He said, looking to Stacie. The brunette nodded and returned to her corner of the couch next to Ash. Mickey also sat down.

"I don't know how to explain this." He said, rubbing his face with his hands. He looked at each of them in turn, starting with Ash, going to Stacie and ending with Danny. He sighed again and dropped his eyes from them, looking to his hands. "I'm not who you think I am."

"Mickey—" Stacie started, but Mickey shook his head and held up his hand.

"No, Stacie, Let me finish." He said. "My name isn't Michael Stone. Well, it's not the name I was born with anyway. My real name is Michael Callahan." He looked up them to gauge their reactions. So far, none of them seemed too shocked yet. But, then again, that wasn't the most outrageous revelation of the night.

"Ok, so you changed your name," Danny said, shrugging his shoulders, "I don' see what that's got to do with Rex Rayner and the blood bags in his fridge."

"Danny, it has everything to do with it." Mickey said, slightly frustrated. "It's all connected, it's just difficult to know where to start, because what I'm about to tell you is just..." he scrabbled for the right words, "...it's going to be very hard for you all to understand."

"Then start from the beginning." Ash said, folding his arms across his chest. Mickey's mouth lifted at the corner slightly. Good old Ash, ever the practical one.

"The beginning?" Mickey said. "Well, the beginning of my story starts in 1888."

Similar frowns graced their faces, "1888?" Stacie questioned. "Why there?"

"Because that's when I was born." Mickey stated simply.

Silence covered the room like a thick, suffocating blanket. Mickey looked at each of them again, seeing their expressions change. He could see the confusion on their faces, and the underlying disbelief in his words.

"Ok, so let me get this straight." Danny said, "You were born...in 1888?" Mickey nodded. "Well, that's just impossible, Mick. You'd have to be well over a hundred years old by now, and you don't look any older than 35."

"117, actually." Mickey corrected, letting the fact that Danny had added three years to his human age slide.

"Oh for god's sake, Mickey!" Stacie cried, "Stop the jokes and tell us what's really going on!"

The dark man turned to her and fixed his eyes on her, "Does this look like I'm joking around?" he said quietly. Stacie continued to stare at him, and the more she looked, the more she could see that no, he wasn't joking around. Mickey looked deadly serious, as if he actually believed he was 117 years old.

"You really believe it." Stacie said, worry showing in her eyes.

"I believe it because it's true," he said, shrugging, "I _was_ born in 1888."

"But, you do realise that that isn't possible." She said, repeating Danny's earlier words. She looked between Mickey and Albert trying to make them see. Mickey nodded.

"It is." He agreed, "but it isn't."

"Ok, stop with the cryptic shite, Mickey." Danny said, looking at the other man as if he were crazy. The dark man nodded.

"I'll tell the story, but no matter what I tell you, I need you to stay and hear me out." They nodded slowly. Mickey turned to Albert then, who had said nothing yet. The older man nodded.

"I was born in 1888. My parents were hard working people, but earned little for their time. What they did earn was divided between food and a savings pot. More money went into the saving pot than on food for the three of us, and what food was brought to the table was mainly for me. They ignored their own hunger for the sake of my growth.

"The saving's pot, I later learned, was for me. They were trying to save money so they could send me to a good school. I was 15 when everything went wrong." Mickey sat back, his eyes unfocused and glazed at the memory. "Two men came to the door one day. They told my parents that they were builders or something. They said that our roof was in a bad way, and that we ought to get it fixed. They told my parents that if we didn't get it done soon, that it would cave in. My mother and father were worried, but these men told them that they could fix it. For a price." Mickey's face was hard and his eyes turned angry. "Mother and Father worried themselves sick before they finally agreed. They took the money they had saved for me and gave it to the builders, thinking that they were going to fix the roof. They took the money and ran, never to be seen again."

"Con men?" Ash said. The clouds in Mickey's eyes dissipated, and the dark man looked up. He nodded.

"Yes. Con men." He shook his head slightly. "The worst kind. After that, I worked my arse off to get the money back for them. By that time I had already been working for 5 years as a baker's boy. My wage was very little, but it was the best I could do. I gave everything to my parents, replacing the money they had lost, but it wasn't enough. My father's health started deteriorating, and he could no longer work. When I was 16, he died. Heart attack. What money we had earned went on funeral arrangements and a proper burial.

"It was just me and my mother left then. I vowed to myself I was going to make it right, so a year later I packed my bag and left to find better work. I told mother I'd be back with the money she had lost. I looked all over London for work, but I couldn't find anything good enough." Here he smiled and looked over to Albert. "Then I met Albert."

"Albert?!" Danny cried, "So you're telling me he was around in the eighteen hundreds too!"

The older man frowned at Danny and shushed him. Mickey continued with the story as though Danny hadn't spoken.

"It was a chance meeting, although, over the years, I've thought of it as Fate." He said, throwing the old man a smile. "I told him of the con men, and he told me that not all con men were like that. He explained to me that conning someone can be an art, if you had the right mind and the right talents. I didn't believe him at first, but he showed me. He showed me a whole new life; a different way of living. And a way I could get the money I needed in no time at all. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew. I was a quick learner, and it was only 6 months after I had met him that I had my money back."

The smile fell from Mickey's lips, "I went back home to give the money to my mother. Only, she wasn't there. I asked the neighbours. They told me she had died a few months after I had left. They didn't know what caused it, just one minute she was there and the next she wasn't. She was the last of my family. I turned to Albert after that, since he was already becoming a father-figure to me." The smile returned a little. "We conned our way around London, taking money from the greedy and the rich."

"Not to sound like a total git here, Mickey," Danny said, "But...what has this all got to do with the fact that you're claiming to be 117 years old."

Mickey sighed, "I spent many years with Albert. When I was 32, one of our old Marks found us. Or rather, he found me. He shot me, and I died."

"Excuse me?" Stacie said, her face a picture of confusion, disbelief and a touch of anger.

"I died." Mickey repeated. "The bullet had nicked a major artery, and I was bleeding out. No-one was with me at the time, so no-one was around to help me. I bled for hours, trying myself to stem the flow, but it didn't work. Albert was the one who found me in the end. By that time I had lost so much blood that I didn't know what was going on. My eyesight was fading and blurry, my head couldn't decipher what was what. Even the pain had dulled. I saw Albert, or who I thought was Albert anyway. He was saying something, but I didn't understand what at the time. Some part of my brain though told me that he was offering something to me and that I should accept it. I just about managed to nod. I trusted him with my life, so it seemed only fitting that I give him what was left of it."

"I don't understand." Ash said, the un-flappable man now looking totally flummoxed. "If you were that close to death, Albert wouldn't have been able to help you."

"If you had died, you wouldn't be here now!" Stacie said, her own confusion making her angry.

"You are right, Ash." Albert said, finally speaking up. "I wouldn't have been able to help him. I couldn't have kept him alive. I certainly wasn't a doctor, and getting one in those days took time."

"So, what did you do?" Danny asked. "Unless Mickey's going to tell us that he's still dead and that he's just a ghost or a figment of our imaginations or something." The fair-haired man mocked, a smirk on his lips.

"Well, partly right." Mickey said, not taking the bait. "I _am_ still dead."

"Riiiight," Danny said quickly, his expression doubtful, "And how did you survive?"

"Albert Turned me." He answered. Danny's eyebrow lifted.

"Into what exactly?"

Mickey smirked and stared at Danny as the blonde stared at him.

"Into a Vampire."


	9. Chapter 9

For _DreaBean,_ because she loves LetherPants!Danny and Vampire!Mickey almost as much as I do :D Thanks for reviewing, hun!

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Rating:** FRT – FRAO  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 2,916  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev FRT – FRAO Slash, Sexual content/discussions. 2,916 I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.**

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**

**Part 9**

The room was silent. Danny's expression turned from mocking to bewilderment with a touch of fear. Stacie was much the same. Ash, however, was just the same as before. His arms were still crossed and he was staring at Mickey intently. The dark man would have spoken, but Danny got there before him.

"I don't know what's up with you, Mickey, but you're off your head." He said, standing from the couch and making his way to the drinks cabinet. He pulled out a glass and the decanter of Whisky and poured himself a drink.

"Why do you think that?" Mickey asked. It was Stacie who answered.

"Because Vampire's are not real!" She exclaimed, also getting up. Her posture and her tone all indicating that she was livid "They are mythical creatures who do _not_ exist. There is no way you are a 117 years old, just like there is no way you could have died and still be here today." She shook her head at him, betrayal in her eyes. "Why are you lying to us, Mickey? Why make up this...this bullshit story and expect us to believe it?"

An irritated sigh escaped his lips and he stood. He grabbed Stacie's hand and placed it over the left side of his chest where his heart was.

"What do you feel?" he asked her. Stacie rolls her eyes and tried to pull her hand away.

"Mickey, this is—"

"What do you _feel_?" he interrupted. Stacie looked at him and sighed, focusing her attention on her hand. Nothing happened. She frowned and moved her hand. Still nothing. Her eyes rose to meet Mickey's and he was looking straight at her.

"Nothing." She answered, her voice a mere whisper. "There's nothing there." She yanked her hand away from his chest as if she'd been burnt. She looked at her hand, his chest and finally his face again.

"Stace?" The young woman's eyes flicked to the side where Danny was standing. A frown wrinkled his forehead and concern light his eyes.

"There wasn't a heartbeat." She said, her voice strange. Her eyes returned to Mickey. "Why isn't there a heartbeat?"

"Because I'm dead." He answered. "I did die on that night all those years ago."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry." She said, "I still can't believe you're a...a..."

"Vampire." Mickey supplied. Stacie nodded.

"Yeah. That. I mean, the heartbeat could just be a fluke or something. The fact that you're claiming to be...something that doesn't even exist is just...outrageous."

"Have you ever seen him change?"

All eyes turned to Ash, who was still perched on the arm of the sofa and still staring at Mickey.

"What?" Stacie asked.

"Think about it." He said, "How long have we known him, Stacie? Ten, fifteen years now? In that time, we have both aged, you more gracefully." He said, throwing a smile at her. "Mickey hasn't change one bit since the day we met him. Neither of them have."

Stacie looked from Ash to Mickey and Albert. She had first met them in the early 90's; she was just moving out of her teens and trying to get over Jake. She had met them purely by chance, stumbling across Eddie's one night and going in for a drink. She was lonely and angry at her family. She sat at the bar and ordered a vodka and coke and quietly stewed in her own anger. Mickey was the first to start talking to her, and he introduced her to Albert, Ash and June.

And Ash was right. They hadn't changed one bit since the day they had met. He hadn't any different wrinkles, there was no difference in his skin or his body really. Albert still looked fifty when in reality he should be around sixty or sixty-five. They hadn't aged.

"You've walked in the sunlight, though." Danny said, trying to put a logical explanation to all Mickey was saying. "Vampire's burn in the sun. Unless you're a Daywalker like Blade." Danny's eyes widened, "Oh god, you're not Blade, are you?"

Mickey rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, Danny, I'm not Blade." He sighed, "Look, forget all you know about Vampires. All of it is complete bollocks."

"Stakes?" Danny said. Mickey shook his head. "Crosses?" Another shake. "Bats?"

"No, Danny." He snapped, "It's all fiction."

"So, what you're saying is that you've been hiding in plain sight." Ash said. Mickey nodded, more that surprised at how Ash was taking it.

"You're taking it rather well." Stacie said, almost affronted. The other man shrugged.

"I guess I am. It kinda explains some things, really. Like the age thing."

"Dracula?" Danny asked. Mickey stared at him. "What?"

"Dracula was real, and so was Van Helsing. Dracula exposed the Vampire race, and Van Helsing was sent to kill him. The whole 'Using religion as a weapon' thing was made up, and we went back to hiding in plain sight."

"So what makes you a..." Stacie started, waiting for Mickey to finish. When he didn't, she sighed, "Vampire?"

Clearly she still didn't believe it. Mickey could understand that. It was a big thing to wrap your head around.

"I'm dead and I need blood to survive." Mickey said. He hesitated on the next part, but if he was going to convince them, it needed to be done. "And...this."

His eyes changed from dark brown to molten gold and two intents formed in his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to reveal two lengths of pearly white. Stacie gasped, stepping back from Mickey in fear. Danny just stared, his eyes fixed on Mickey's fangs. Ash's eyes widened, but there was no other reaction from him.

"Believe me now?" he asked, a little amusement colouring his voice.

Mickey could pick out Stacie's heartbeat from the other two. It was racing; she feared him. He shook his head and retracted his fangs. He stepped towards Stacie, and she stepped back from him, placing herself behind Ash. He sighed and held out his arms.

"Stacie, I'm not going to hurt you. I haven't hurt you yet, have I?"

"Yet." She shot back. He frowned, suddenly angry, and dropped his arms.

"How can you think I'd ever hurt you? I'm still the same person you knew yesterday; that you've known for years."

"How do I know you haven't been lying about that?" She said, not moving from her spot behind Ash.

"Because you know he hasn't." Danny answered. He was staring at Mickey strangely, all different emotions playing on his face. "I may not have known him as long as you or Ash, but even I can see that he's the same. He's still Mickey. Just with a few...additions."

The dark man smiled at Danny, and the blonde male blushed and looked away. He turned back to Stacie, who now looked torn. He held up his arms again in open invitation. She looked to his arms and then back to his face.

"Stace?" She still didn't move. "Please?"

She did move then. Tentatively, she moved into his arms, wrapping her own around his back. He hugged her for a few minutes before loosening his arms and pulling back. He framed her face with his large hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"I would never hurt you. Any of you. You are all too special to me. You are all I have left. I would never jeopardise that."

"Why lie?" she asked, her voice thick with unshed tears. His heart wrenched in his chest, but he gave her a little smile.

"It's not something you just throw into everyday conversation. 'Do you want a drink? Oh yeah, and I'm a Vampire.'" Stacie laughed a little at that and sniffed. "I swear to you, Stacie, I'm still me."

The brunette stared into his eyes for a few minutes, seemingly searching for deception or something like it. She must have found what she was looking for because she smiled and nodded slowly. Mickey smiled back.

"What happened after Albert turned you then?" Danny asked. Mickey moved back from Stacie, who sat back down on the sofa. Danny stayed standing behind it, leaning on the back of it with his elbows.

"Well, by the time I was turned, it was 1920." Mickey answered. "Everyone had started jumping on the bandwagon and 'The con' was the fashionable thing to do. I swore loyalty to the Clan and then Albert took me to the US for a while. We travelled a bit, then came back here. We moved around the country, but we've always come back to London."

"Clan?" Ash asked. He had moved from the arm of the couch to sit the opposite end, leaving the middle seat open for Danny.

"There are various Vampire Clan's across the world." Mickey said. "Each territory is governed by a Clan, which has it's own council that includes the heads of the Clan, their second in commands and the clan advisers. When a Vampire is turned, they have to swear loyalty to a Clan and uphold their laws. Unless they are what we call Rouge Vampires. They don't swear loyalty to anyone but themselves."

"So, your Clan...?" Stacie said, trying to process all of the information he was telling them.

"Camelot."

Danny laughed, "You serious?"

Mickey nodded. "Yes. Our Clan is Camelot, headed by the lovely Guinevere and her husband, Arthur."

"Guinevere and..." Danny started, but didn't finish. Mickey grinned at him and nodded.

"Rex." Ash said suddenly, bringing their attention back to him. "He's a Vampire."

Albert sighed, "Judging by all the blood packets in his refrigerator, I would say so."

"And you didn't know?"

"No, we didn't. I never expected him to be, so I just didn't look for it." Mickey said, "I mean, the lack of heartbeat should of alerted me, but I didn't notice. We were in a bar full of people, and their heartbeats deafened me, so I just tuned them out."

"Actually..." Danny said, giving Mickey a strange look. "I didn't hear a heartbeat either. I didn't think about it at the time...my mind was on other things."

Stacie looked up at him, a smirk on her lips, "Like what?"

Danny blushed and avoided her eyes, preferring to look down at the sofa instead.

"Anyway, Harry said he'd get back to me." Mickey said, moving her attention away from Danny before she could question further and embarrass the blonde man.

"Harry?" Ash asked.

"Camelot's Second in Command." Albert answered.

Mickey nodded, "Clan's keep a record of their members. I called Camelot to see if he was a member of our clan, but Harry hadn't heard of him before. If he was from another clan, he would have called Camelot and told them he was going to be in our territory." Mickey shrugged. "It's courtesy for them to do so."

"And Harry hadn't heard of Rex." Stacie said. Mickey shook his head.

"No, but he told me he'd get Severus on it and he'd get back to me."

"_Severus_?" Danny said. "Please tell me his last name isn't what I think it is, because that's just way beyond crazy."

Mickey smiled at him, "Afraid I can't do that, Danny." He said.

"So, Harry is..."

"...Harry Potter, yes." Mickey said. "Severus Snape is the Clan's researcher and historian and Draco Malfoy is the war council. They're Mates."

"Capital M." Stacie said, her eyes narrowing. "I can hear it in your voice. Is that significant?"

The dark man smiled, "And that is why you are such a fantastic Con artist, Stacie Monroe. Always observant."

"Answer the question, Mickey." She said, her lips twitching. Mickey sighed and sat down in the arm chair again.

"Most Vampire's have Mates. Soulmates. One person, or in some cases, two people that that Vampire is destined to spend the rest of Eternity with."

"So, Harry, Draco and Severus are Mates." Danny said. Mickey nodded. "Do you have a Mate?"

Mickey faltered. He moved his eyes to the floor and didn't answer, trying to control himself.

"Mickey?" Stacie said worriedly. He looked up then, his eyes shining a little. He gave her a small unsteady smile and nodded.

"I'm ok." He drew in a breath. "I had a lover, before I was turned. It's...complicated to explain. They died...They were with me when I died."

"Shot." Danny said. It was a statement, not a question. Mickey frowned and looked at him strangely. The blonde man was staring straight at him, his emotions guarded. Mickey nodded, frowning.

"How did you know that?" Stacie asked, a frown also marring her forehead. Danny didn't answer straight away. He just continued to stare at Mickey just as Mickey stared at him.

"I dream." He said suddenly. "I dream...of the past."

Mickey face went slack and he looked away from the blonde and to the coffee table. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and sighed.

"I was afraid of this happening." He muttered.

"I don't understand." Ash said, looking between Mickey and Danny.

"It's been like it for a while now," Danny went on. "I dream of me...and of Mickey. And sometimes of Albert, but mostly of me and Mickey." He paused. "We're together."

Silence. Stacie looked back and forth between Mickey and Danny, a confused look on her face. Ash just looked at Danny, Mickey at the coffee table and Albert at Mickey.

"What do you mean 'together'?" Stacie said.

"My lover," Mickey started, "was Danny's past life."

Stacie blinked, stared, and blinked again. "Excuse me?"

"Daniel." Danny said, looking to Mickey for conformation. "You always call me Daniel in my dreams."

The dark skinned man nodded. "Daniel Hart. I was 20 when I met him. He'd been living on the streets for a while, getting by on what he got from other people." Mickey grins, his eyes far, far away. "Best pickpocket in London, Daniel was."

"I remember." Danny said, looking at the sofa again. "Not all of it. Just bits and pieces, you know?"

Mickey nodded, swallowing thickly. "He was there when the mark came for me. He shot Daniel first and then me. Dan died instantly...I was left to die slowly and painfully with only the body of my lover to keep me company."

He didn't realise he was crying until Stacie's hand came up to wipe them away. He smiled at her; just a small upturn of the corner of his mouth. He sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"But...he wasn't your Vampire mate." Ash said, looking at Mickey with sad eyes.

"No, but he was my soul mate." Mickey answered. "And his Soul has been reborn..." here he glanced at Danny. The blonde's eyes widened and he stood straight.

"You mean...I'm your Mate?" He asked.

Mickey nodded. "I knew who you were when I first saw you at the hotel door that evening. That's mostly the reason why I was reluctant to let you in on the con. I couldn't have trusted myself around you."

Silence, once again, reined. Mickey battled to control his emotions. This whole little trip down memory lane had brought up some of the memories he'd rather forget. But now, his and Albert's secret was out. He had told them, and they had taken it as well as could be. Ash, although surprised, had taken it all in his stride. Stacie had freaked a little, but Mickey kind of expected that. Danny...Mickey found it hard to tell how he'd reacted over all.

A sigh jolted him out of his musings, and he looked up to see Danny running a hand through his hair. He rubbed his face with his hands and linked them behind his neck, closing his eyes.

"Danny?" Stacie said, worry in her voice. The blonde didn't acknowledge her, and with a shake of his head, grabbed his jacket and went for the door.

"Danny!" She repeated, standing and going to follow him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry..." he said, distracted. "I have to go..." he shook his head once more and left, closing the door behind him. There was a pause, and then Stacie grabbed her own coat and ran after him.

Mickey sighed and stood, making his way to his room. Albert watched him go, but didn't follow. He needed some time on his own to sort his head out. The older gentleman turned to Ash, who was still sat on the sofa, arms crossed and eyes staring into space. It was 2 full minutes before Ash realised that Albert was staring at him. He gave him a lop-sided smile and stood, one hand reaching for his fags on the table and the other fishing a red plastic lighter from his pocket. He shifted the curtains and opened the sliding doors to the balcony.

Albert looked up at the clock and exhaled heavily It was 4:15am. He heaved himself out of the chair and shuffled tiredly to bed. It had been a long night of revelations and shocking secrets and it was time for Albert to rest. Lord knows he needed it.

Mickey, however, was anything but resting. He lay on his bed, his mind going round and round, thinking and questioning and debating. Everything was out in the open now. Ok, so not everything, but the most important things had been said. It was a shock to their systems, and it would take them a while to adjust to it, but the worst was most definitely over now.

Or so he thought.


	10. Chapter 10

_DreaBean_: Now you have to write that LeatherPants!Danny fic for me! (grins)

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**Rating:** FRT – FRM  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 3,029

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

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**Part 10**

Danny walked out of the building and across the street; letting his feet decide the route he was taking. He heard the distinct _clip-clip-clip_ of high-heeled shoes behind him, jogging to catch up. He knew who it was but he didn't acknowledge her right away. His mind was on other things; like the fact that Mickey was a vampire and that he was his soul mate.

This was all just way too much. In the space of a week, Danny had gone from being a cock-sure ladies man who could make women swoon with just a wink and a cheeky smile, to a confused possible-Bisexual who's the Soul mate of a male Vampire who just so happened to be his boss. Everything he had ever known had just been turned on its head and at the same time, it all made sense. He couldn't even say _why_ it made sense; just that it did.

He used to be so sure of himself, of whom and he was and what he was going to do with his life. He knew that the Con was his life; it was all he'd ever really known and all he was ever likely to know. He had it all planned out: He was going to Grift with the crew for a few years, build up a little nest egg for himself and strike out on his own and start a crew of his own. He was going to make it great, make more money than he knew what to do with and then retire and live the rest of his life in a Manor in the country with a Butler called Jeeves and women on tap.

In five days, that plan had been crushed under the heel of his boot and kicked out the window.

What was he supposed to do now?

Stacie's familiar presence by his side brought him out of his musings. He finally looked up at his surroundings. Tower Bridge. He sighed and slowed down, making his way over to the wall and leaning on the hard stone with his elbows, clasping his hands together in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stacie settle next to him, her back to the scene in front of him.

It reminded him of his dream. He shook his head slightly,_ Not a dream,_ he thought,_ a memory_. It was more or less the same view, only it was the beginnings of spring now and not the middle of a long, hard winter. The buildings were the same, yet different at the same time. The Houses of Parliament were still there, Big Ben...but the old architecture was interspersed with new modern buildings full of glass and chrome. The city was just starting to wake up; the dark of the morning getting lighter with each passing minute. There was hardly any traffic on the roads, but that would all change in a few hours time.

"I've been here before." Danny suddenly said, making Stacie jump slightly. She turned her head towards him, but he still looked out at the Thames. "I mean, I know I've been here before," He clarified, "but I mean that I've been here before, just not as me." He looked at Stacie then. "Know what I mean?"

She smiled at him, bemused, and shook her head. He offered her a little smile and then looked back out to the river.

"It was one of my dreams." He said. "It was winter, and the Thames had frozen solid. When I say solid, I mean like a couple of elephants could have trampled all over it and it still wouldn't have broke." His lips curved at the thought. "I was stood here, in this exact spot, watching this old man skate across the ice. He was so good at it, like he'd been doing it all his life." He snorted a laugh through his nose, "Probably had."

Stacie had turned around and was now looking out at the London skyline, split by the Thames in front of them.

"Mickey was there." He said, lost in the memory. "We had conned one of the richest men in London that day, and we had celebrated in style. Me and Mickey got fabulously drunk on whatever alcohol we could get our hands on, and Albert just watched on in amusement. I think we drank ourselves to sleep, and I woke up around 11 o'clock that night. I decided on taking a walk to clear my head, and my feet took me here." He smiled. "Mickey came by around midnight and we stood here and watched the man skate random patterns into the ice. He told me I should come home."

Danny's eyes focused and he glanced at Stacie, who was watching him and listening intently.

"It felt so right, Stacie." He continued. "The way he said 'Home' just made everything so right. Like the pieces of my life were slotting neatly into place, and the piece I had been missing was Mickey." He blushed and looked down at the wall. "It sounds so stupid and soft."

"No." The dark haired woman said, speaking for the first time since they left the apartment. "No, it doesn't."

Danny was silent for a while, thinking. "I just don't know what to do, ya know?" he said finally. "I don't know how to feel. All of this is just...hard to take in. Not just the Vampire part or the soul mate part, but the whole 'I don't know who I am anymore' thing. Five days ago I was Danny Blue, one-fifth of the best Grifter crew in London. Now I don't even know if I'm that anymore."

"Danny, you will always be part of this crew." Stacie said, tucking her hair behind her ear to keep it out of the light wind. "That's never going to change. You're stuck with us, Dan." She said, bumping against him with her arm. He smiled and bumped back, looking up at her. She laughed and slid her arm under and around his, linking them and pulling him away from wall.

They carried on walking in companionable silence, each giving and taking comfort from each other in that no-words-needed way that only good friend's had.

"Can't have been easy for you either, finding out your ex-lover is a Vampire." Danny said, humour and a little fear tinting his voice. Stacie playfully smacked his side with the back of her hand and pretended to look outraged.

"Danny!" She laughed, watching him wince, which was obviously fake. "Mickey isn't my ex-lover! We never went out and there was never anything between us." She gave him a significant look, one she hoped he got the message to. "Besides, it would be like having sex with my brother."

Danny raised his eyebrows, "Got a little incest kink, have we?" He didn't move quickly enough and copped another smack to the side, "Ok, ok! Stop beating me up!"

"I'll stop beating you up when you stop being a git!"

"Ok, I'll stop." He said, sticking his hand out to her, "Friends?"

She looked at the hand for a second and smiled, taking it in hers and shaking it, "Friends."

He nodded and offered his arm out to her again. She took it and they continued their stroll.

"Joking aside," She said, "No it wasn't easy for me. I don't think it was easy for any of us, really. I mean, Vampires? It's all so...unreal and fanciful. Vampires are evil beings that thirst for virgin blood and turn into bats at night, not con men from London. Not Mickey and Albert."

"But he showed us." Danny said. "There was no way in faking that."

"I know," she replied, "But it's a lot to wrap my head around. Three hours ago I thought Vampires were just characters in horror stories and sci-fi shows. Now I'm told that they actually exist and they could be anyone, anywhere in the world." She sighed, shaking her head slightly, "They can't expect me to just overturn my beliefs in a few minutes."

"Shock." Danny said. Stacie looked at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, we're in shock, aren't we? We can't believe it yet because we're in shock. We need to give ourselves time to get used to the idea."

Stacie thought about it, "Yeah, I suppose."

He nudged her slightly with his elbow. "Go on, you know I'm right."

She gave him an incredulous expression and nudged him back. "You, Mr Blue, are full of it."

"Yeah, but you love me for it." He replied, winking at her. She snorted, but smiled at him in answer.

The next few seconds passed in a blur of panic and confusion. Stacie heard footsteps behind her and she was about to turn around when an arm slid around her neck and squeezed. She screamed and kicked out, grabbing the arm with her fingers and digging her nails into the cloth covered flesh to try and pry the offending appendage from around her neck. The other hand came up and covered her mouth with a rag soaked in some kind of chemical. The last thing she heard was Danny shouting her name before she succumbed to the darkness.

She woke to the sounds of traffic and engines. She felt movement beneath her and her brain sluggishly came to the realisation that she was in a car. Slowly, she opened her eyes to assess how bad the situation was.

Black leather seat-backs filled her vision; the driver and his companion in the passenger seat were up front. Her eyes scoped out the tinted windows and chrome interior, which told her that the car was very expensive.

"Ah, so the lovely Ms Monroe finally decides to join us."

Stacie recognised that voice, but she couldn't place it straight away. She turned to place a face to the voice and, hopefully, a name to the face. Dark eyes stared back at her, framed by wavy black hair and covered by a tan complexion.

Rex Rayner.

As her eyes focused on the scene before her she knew that the situation was bad. Very, very bad.

Rex was sat sideways on, his back half against the seat and half against the car door. Danny was sat next to him, his body ridged and his eyes wide. One of Rex's arms was curled around the back of the seat and therefore, around Danny's shoulder's. The other was holding a gun to Danny's left temple.

And between her and Danny was a burly body-guard type man who couldn't keep his beady black eyes off her.

"Wh—What's going on?"

"Come on, Stacie, you're a bright girl." He smirked. "You tell me."

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said, moving herself further against the door.

"Oh, I think you do." He said, his voice low. A slow smile spread across his lips, showing two long pearly white fangs. "By now I'm sure Mickey has told you everything. Or, almost everything, I should say."

He threw a glance to the man beside her, and Stacie shuddered when a menacing smile slid over his thick, chapped lips. He descended on her, pressing his body into hers suggestively. His hands trailed up her legs and up the skirt she had thrown on over her PJ shorts before she went out the apartment. She screamed and tried to push him away from her.

"Get off!" She shouted, her voice high and thin, "Let me go!"

"What an excellent idea." Rex said. In a flash the man had gone and Rex was bent over her, pressing the cold muzzle of the gun under her chin.

"You run back home to Mickey and tell him all about this." He hissed at her, his eyes as black as night and glinting with insanity. "Tell him we have his precious Mate at Eddie's."

And before she knew what was happening, the car door was opened and she was pushed out. She fell to the solid tarmac, bouncing a few times before rolling over and over again until she hit the curb and stopped. Hurt and disorientated, she tried to scramble up to her feet before the car pulled away. She heard the screech of tires fading off and she knew that she was too late.

She hauled herself up and slowly sat herself on the pavement, letting the dizziness fade and the sickness pass. Only then did she let herself panic. She quickly searched her coat pockets for her mobile, and felt tears of relief spring to her eyes when her grazed and torn fingers found it. The tears fell as she held down the speed-dial key for Mickey's mobile and she was full-blown sobbing as she held the phone to her ear and listened to the ringing, waiting and praying for Mickey to pick up.

* * *

Mickey knew he wasn't going to get any sleep so it was pointless to even try. It was a quarter to five in the morning and he knew the others wouldn't sleep either. Later they would ask more questions. Questions he would have to answer, and there would be no hiding from them.

Danny's reaction had distressed him. He knew it was a lot for the blond con-man to take in, but did he really resent the fact that he was Mickey's mate so much? Logically, Mickey knew that it was just a response to all of the information he had been given tonight. His brain knew that, but his heart wanted to run and hide in fear of his Mate's rejection.

When Danny joined the crew, he knew that he was Daniel's reincarnation. Not only did they look similar, but Mickey's soul recognised him and yearned for his love and affection. During the last year or so, he had tried so hard to remind himself that it _wasn't_ Daniel that sometimes he came off as disapproving and arrogant, and that forced its own little wedge between Danny and himself. When Mickey seemed disappointed in him, Danny always tried that little bit harder to earn his respect, which made Mickey want him even more.

Now he wondered if he should have been more lenient with Danny. Should he have commented on his good work, even if he did stuff it up from time to time? Gave him a smile and a clap on the back? How different would things be if he had done that?

He sighed. Life was full of 'What if's...it was no good to dwell on what could have been. What's done is done; the cards have all been dealt and this was the hand he got.

Was it a good or a bad hand? That was the question.

The buzz of his mobile phone jolted him back to reality. He frowned and reached over to the nightstand to pick it up. Stacie's name flashed on the screen and he knew instantly that something was wrong. Something stabbed through his gut and he sat bolt upright, answering the frantically vibrating phone.

"Stacie? Stacie, what's wrong?"

"Oh god, Mickey!" She sobbed hysterically, her voice high and thick with tears. "Oh god, you picked up. Oh thank god, thank you so much—" she babbled.

"Stacie, calm down," he said, his breathing picking up, "Tell me what's happened."

He heard her take a few big, gasping breaths to try and calm herself down enough to answer him.

"W-We were just walking," She stammered, "And then t-these two guys at-ttacked us. One guy had me around the throat and p-pressed something to my m-mouth." She took another breath to try and get a hold of her emotions. "Then the n-next thing I know I'm in the b-back of a car!"

Mickey didn't know when he had stood from the bed and grabbed his jacket, but he found that he didn't really care.

"Where are you?" he asked, opening his bedroom door with such force that it nearly came off the hinges.

"I-I don't know!" She sniffed, and he supposed she was looking around for a sign of some description. "Pope Street. Oh Mickey, please hurry."

"Where's Danny?" He asked, fearing her answer. Panic started to bubble inside him and he knew he wasn't going to like what she said next.

"He still has him," Stacie said, her emotion's starting to get the better of her again. "R-Rex has him. He had a gun to his head..." And then she dissolved into panic-stricken sobs again.

Mickey stopped dead still. His hand clenched around the phone so tight that he heard the plastic squeak under his fingers. The words _Rex_, _gun_ and _Danny's head_ were the only things his brain registered. Panic and rage warred within him, making his body tighten and his breathing quicken.

"Stay where you are," He finally managed to get out. "We're coming to get you."

He ended the call and went straight to Ash's room. He pounded on the door with his fist.

"Ash!" he bellowed, "Ash, god damn it!"

"Micheal?"

The dark man turned to see Albert step into the hallway, a look of confusion and worry on his lined face.

"Where's Ash?" He asked, walking towards his mentor. "Where is he?!"

"I'm here, mate." Mickey turned to see the other man by the door to the main area. "What's going on?"

"Go down to the car park and get us a car." Mickey ordered, walking towards the confused man. "I don't care how you do it, just do it and do it fast. We'll meet you out front in five minutes."

Ash nodded and obeyed him without question, grabbing his jacket on the way out.

"Micheal, what is going on?"

Mickey looked at the older man and let his rage show. Liquid gold sparked with anger and worry and panic. His fangs had lengthened in his fury, and it all made for a menacing picture. This was Mickey's true nature; fierce and beautiful and protective, and he would stop at nothing to bring his family back home safe and out of danger.

And if he had to kill Rex Rayner along the way, so be it.


	11. Chapter 11

**REPOSTED!!!** Please re-read! I've added to this part, so the next wont really make much sense if you don't read the end of this one. Thanks :D

_**DreaBean:**_ You know I loved your LeatherPants!Danny fic, so this is for you. : ) Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Rating:** FRT – FRM  
**Warnings:** Slash, Sexual content/discussions.  
**Word Count:** 3, 839 

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hustle, nor do I own Mickey, Danny or any of the crew. And I certainly don't own Sylum. That's all down to Bev. This fic has been approved by Bev.

**Author's Note:** See? Told you it would only take a few days. :D

**

* * *

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**Part 11**

It took just seven minutes to get to Stacie. They drew up on the other side of the road, Mickey getting out before the car had fully stopped. She was sat on the curb, arms wrapped around her knees and her head in her lap. As he got closer, Mickey could see she was shaking and probably still crying. The scent of blood filled his nostrils and his fists clenched in anger. Rex was going to pay dearly for this.

He reached out and touched her shoulder, and wasn't really surprised when she flinched and tried to get away from him.

"Hey, it's ok." He said gently, rubbing her shoulder, "It's only me, Stacie. Just me."

She looked up then, and the sight nearly broke Mickey's heart. Her skin was pale and blotchy and wet with tear tracks. Her dark eyes were full of fear and searching Mickey's. Then she flung herself at the Vampire, clutching on to him as tight as she could.

"Oh thank god!" she cried, "Mickey..."

He held her just as tight, stroking her hair with one hand and holding her back with the other. He pressed a small kiss to her head.

"It's ok, Stacie. We're here now."

They stood there for a few minutes, neither moving from the others' embrace. Mickey noticed they were attracting a few stares from the early risers that were milling around and thought it would be best if they got to the car. He pulled away from the distraught woman a little to wrap one arm around her shoulders and guide her to the car. Mickey opened the car door for her and she gingerly got in, sliding across the seats until she came to the other side of the car. Mickey entered after her and shut the door behind him. Stacie was hugging Albert tight when Mickey turned to them.

"You ok, Stace?" Ash asked, twisting around in his seat to look at the two in the back. The woman offered him a watery smile and wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, sniffing.

"Yeah," she answered, throatily, "I will be." The older man gave her a warm smile and nodded.

Mickey turned to her and reached for her hands, holding them between his gently. "I need you to tell me what happened, Stacie."

"We were walking across Tower Bridge," she said, looking at their hands. "I think Danny was trying to sort his head out. He was telling me about a memory of his past life, I think. Anyway, we carried on walking; joking with each other and laughing. Then someone grabbed me around the neck and covered my mouth with something. Next thing I knew I was in the back of a car. I can't remember where it was going, but it was moving. Rex was there, and so was Danny."

"Was he ok? Did he look hurt to you?" Mickey asked, his eyes searching her face. She looked up then and stared straight into his eyes. She shook her head.

"No, he didn't look hurt. Just shaken and scared. Rex was holding a gun to his head."

"Bastard!" Ash said forcefully, his hand gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"What happened after that?" Albert asked from her side.

"Then he pinned me to the car door and shoved the gun under my chin." She took a deep breath, her eyes trying to focus on Mickey and Albert warm presence. "He told me to run back to you and tell you that he had Danny at Eddie's. Then he opened the car door and pushed me out while the car was still moving." She looked down at herself and saw the tears in her clothing.

"Wait, he's taken Danny to Eddie's?" Mickey asked. Stacie nodded. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go?!"

"Mickey...mate," Ash started, "What if it's a trap?"

"At the moment, I don't care." Mickey growled, looking Ash dead in the eye. "Not only has he hurt my family, but he has kidnapped and threatened my Mate. I'm not going to let him get away with it."

"I get that, Mick, I do, but we can't just go in there without a plan."

"You're right," he said, his eyes glinting. "_We_ can't. I can."

"Oh Michael!" Albert barked, "Making yourself a Martyr isn't going to help!"

"And getting them killed is?!" Mickey said, motioning between Stacie and Ash. "They are still human, Albert! I will not let another Rayner have the satisfaction of killing the people I love. I made that mistake with Daniel, I will not make it again."

"Then I'll go with you." Albert said, firmly. Mickey shook his head.

"No you wont." When Albert tried to tell him otherwise, Mickey continued, "You are needed here, Albert. You need to stay with Ash and Stacie. I need to do this alone."

"You're making it sound like you're never coming back!" Stacie cried, her eyes pleading with him. When he didn't answer her she smacked his arm in much the same manner as she did Danny's not more than an hour ago. "Mickey!"

The dark man took both of her hands in his and looked her in the eye.

"Rex isn't going to just hand Danny back to me. If he's anything like his ancestors, he wont give up without a fight. This is personal for him, and by taking Danny he's made it personal for me too."

She matched his stare, looking as deep into his soul as he was looking into hers. This was the real Mickey Stone; caring and fiercely protective of those he loved. She'd learnt early on in their friendship that his trust and his love had to be earned, and when she earned it she realised just how much of himself he gave to her. He made them all into his family, and he protected them like they shared the same blood.

She had seen him at his best and at his worst, but she had never seen him this scared in her life. He was shit scared of losing her, and Ash, and Albert. But on top of all that, he was scared of losing Danny. Had that been there all the time?

"You really love him, don't you?" She murmured. The dark man nodded. "I mean...what you told us back there, that he was your past lover...I just thought—"

"—That I saw him as Daniel?" He shook his head. "Maybe at the start, yes. Now? Now I know better. Now I see Danny Blue, the cheeky git who forced his way into this crew and into our hearts. I love him, Stacie. I can't lose him, not now."

She smiled and squeezed his hands, "So what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

He nodded and turned to Ash, who gave him a toothy grin and started the car. Ash put his foot down and they sped off towards their favourite haunt.

"I'm going in, and you three are staying in the car." He said, glancing over to Albert. "I want you to look after them, and when Danny comes out, get him in the car."

"What about you?" The American said, giving his childe a level stare. Mickey shrugged.

"Don't worry about me."

Stacie snorted, "Rather pointless saying that, don't you think?"

Mickey just gave her a one-armed hug and didn't answer.

-x-

Danny's head hurt. Dull pain throbbed a drum-beat in his head and he really wished it would stop. Then again, what did he really expect? He'd taken a gun to the temple. It's not like it wasn't going to hurt.

It wasn't only his head either. His arms hurt too; a side affect of the struggle he'd put up when he was grabbed. He'd been trying to get to Stacie, but it had been in vain. Fear crept up his spine as he watched her slump lifelessly in the thugs arms, and he just managed to scream out her name before the thick, cold metal connected solidly with the side of his head and he was swallowed by darkness. He'd come to in the car, but dared not do anything less Rex actually shoot him. His heart rate had tripled when Stacie had been pushed from the moving car, but he'd been knocked out again when the door had shut.

Now he'd come-to to find himself tied to a chair. He'd yanked his wrists to test how strong the bonds were when he had first come round, but that only made his arms hurt worse and did nothing to loosen the rope. He looked around; at least he was somewhere familiar. The lights above the bar were always dim; Eddie said it gave the bar a mysterious air. They seemed too bright now, and he winced as his head throbbed harder. The booths were empty, and Eddie was no-where to be seen.

"Welcome back."

Danny flinched at the voice that was right behind him. He shuddered when two hands covered his shoulders and slid down his chest, bringing the other body closer to his back.

"Sleep well?" he said, planting soft kisses on his throat. Danny shifted in his chair, trying to get away from the other man, but it proved futile. He felt the other man laugh against his skin, and he fought the urge to throw up.

"I have bone to pick with you, Luke." He paused, moving his lips to Danny's ear. "Or should that be Danny?"

"What do you want?" He said, a little more shakily that he wanted. Rex gave him a light sound in the back of his throat before moving away from him. He stalked around he chair until he came to the table in front of Danny, perching on the edge.

"I should think that was obvious." He said. He smiled, and Danny noticed his canines were longer than they should have been. The blond shivered as he took in Rex's bottomless black eyes and the evil smirk on his lips. This was so much different to when Mickey had shown them his true form a few hours ago.

"You had me fooled, Danny." He said, staring intently at the young con man bound to the chair. "But not for long." He pushed himself from the table and walked to short distance between them to stand directly in front of Danny. The blond looked up at him, and Rex looked down, cocking his head to the side.

"I wonder, how much has Mickey told you?"

He frowned slightly, "About what?"

"About his true nature." Rex answered, flashing his fangs again.

"Everything."

One eyebrow arched over a black eye, "Everything?" When Danny nodded, Rex smirked. "What did he tell you about me?"

"That your family and 'im go way back. And that you were a Vampire."

"Which isn't everything."

Danny frowned again, "I don't follow."

Rex leaned down until they were practically nose to nose. "He didn't tell you everything. In fact, he's told you nothing. Which makes me wonder if he even realises who I am."

"Who are you?" Danny asked, confusion making his head hurt even more. Rex stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers, and Danny jerked away.

"All in good time, Mr Blue." He said huskily. "All in good time."

"Can you at least tell me why I'm here? And why you've tied me to this fucking chair!" Danny growled, moving restlessly against his bonds.

"You're here, Mr Blue, because you made a fool of me, and no-one takes Rex Rayner for a fool." His eyes glinted like sharp obsidian chips, "Besides, how else am I going to lure the rest of your silly little crew back here, hmm?" His hand carded through Danny's thick hair and the blond gasped when Rex's hand tightened around the hair at the back of his head and yanked his head back. "Mickey loves you, and for all his wiseness and his careful planning, he'll lose his head when it comes to you."

"You're wrong," Danny said, trying convince himself more than the man in front of him. He didn't want Mickey to come; he didn't want him to get hurt over him.

Rex smirked, "We'll see how wrong I am when he walks through that door." His other hand placed itself on his chest, exactly over his racing heart. It slowly slid down to his crotch, where Rex's fingers started stroking. "In the meantime, I think we'll have some fun."

Danny had never changed his mind so fast in his life.

-x-

The first thing Mickey picked up on was the scent of blood. It was the first thing that cut through the hazy fog in his mind. Deep down within him, the Vampire growled, but Mickey didn't know why.

He remembered Stacie's phone call, and going to pick her up. Danny. Danny was in trouble. Danny had been kidnapped by Rex. The Vampire growled even louder and begged to be let out, but Mickey suppressed it, sorting his memories until he remembered everything up to this minute.

They had arrived at Eddie's, and after some stern words between Stacie and himself, he exited the car and made his way over to the small pub. He'd gone in cautiously, his enhanced eyesight an advantage in scoping the place out. He'd looked, but he'd found no-one. He was about to go back to the car, when pain exploded at the back of his head for a split second, and then darkness took him over.

Which brought him back to now, he guessed. The smell of blood was almost overwhelming, and the Vampire in him craved for the blood. He hadn't fed in a couple of days, and it was starting to take it's toll. He shifted his hands and tried to move, but he couldn't. He frowned and yanked his wrists, but they wouldn't budge.

"You can't break free," came a voice, "I've used the strongest rope there is."

Mickey fought against the darkness and forced his eyes open. A body filled his vision and his eyes sharpened almost instantly. He followed the well tailored suit jacket from waist up to shoulder and then looked upon the face of the man standing in front of him. Black eyes laughed at him, mirroring the smirk that played around the fuller lips.

"So nice of you to join us, Mickey." Rex simpered, staring down at him. Mickey snarled at him, his fangs glinting in the low light of the bar. The other man just snorted. "Growl all you like, it will do you no good. Besides, you can't really do much when you are tied to a chair, can you?"

It was then Mickey really took stock of his surroundings. His wrists were tied behind the back of the chair, and each leg was tied to one of the legs of the chair. He tested the bonds against his Vampire strength, but he couldn't move an inch. To put it plainly, he was screwed. The smile grew as Mickey struggled against the bonds, and Rex started to laugh when the con man realised he wasn't going anywhere.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one." Rex said, nodding his head off to Mickey's left. The dark man turned to see Albert, Stacie and Ash in the same position. All of them looking at him with fear and concern. Stacie's cheeks were wet with tears that she recently shed. Mickey's heart lurched and fear for his family bubbled in his gut.

"Let them go!" Mickey snarled. Rex shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"They have nothing to do with this!"

Rex didn't answer. He just smiled evilly at the group of helpless con artists and revelled in his own ruthlessness.

"You seem to be missing a member." Rex said. Mickey's eyes hardened and he unconsciously struggled against the rope again.

"Where is he?"

Rex just smirked and stepped aside.

His left eye was swollen shut; the skin around it starting to purple and bruise. Blood slowly dripped from a cut to his bottom lip; the scarlet liquid tracing a line down his chin and throat, staining his shirt collar. His skin was mottled with bruises and scrapes, and Mickey could only guess at the internal damage underneath the torn shirt.

A low snarl rumbled in his chest and erupted like a volcano out of his mouth. His nostrils flared and his wild golden eyes were fixed on the body before him. Danny gave him a small smile, and then winced when the cut on his lip split open again and started to ooze more blood.

So that's where the smell was coming from.

"I'm going to kill you." Mickey sneered, "I'm going to rip you limb from limb and then I'm taking your head."

Rex just laughed, "And how will you do that?"

"Oh believe me, I'll find a way."

Rex just smirked. He turned and made his way over to Danny again, running a hand through his blood stained hair. The tanned man stood behind the blond, trailing the back of his hand down a swollen and battered cheek. Danny winced and shied away from the touch, and Mickey growled even louder.

"You have no idea who I am do you?" Rex said, changing the subject abruptly. He looked over to the four con artists bound before him and smiled. "I'm quite surprised, really. I would have thought you of all people would know who you are dealing with, Albert."

The older gentleman frowned in confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

Rex turned to Mickey again. "What did you tell them about me? That you and my family go way back."

"I don't get this!" Mickey suddenly burst out.

"And that just kills you, doesn't it?" Rex said, glorifying in his own genius. "The con man who knows everything about everyone doesn't know who I am."

"Then please," Ash finally spoke up, his own anger showing in his sarcasm, "Enlighten us."

"Mickey never told you the reason why he was so adamant to do this con, did he?" Rex averted the question with his own. "He didn't tell you the whole story behind our combined history."

"Rex—" Mickey barked again, but the other man interrupted.

"You see, I'm not who you think I am." He said. "I'm not just another generation of the Rayner Family. I was there that night, Mickey. I saw everything!"

"No..." Mickey said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh yes!" Rex countered. He turned to the rest of the group. "Mickey hasn't told you the whole story. The reason he knows my family is because he conned them a very long time ago. Simon Rayner was a respectable man, and these two bastards took him for every penny he had!"

"Rex, No!" Mickey shouted, but it did him no good.

"Not only did they take all of his money, but they took his life too!" He stared at Mickey as though he would burn holes through him.

"Because on that night, all those years ago, Michael Callahan killed my father."

Out of the corner of his eye, Mickey saw Stacie and Ash looking between Rex and himself. The dark-haired man was smirking at him, smug at his own revelation.

"Didn't tell you he was a cold-blooded murderer, did he?"

"Mickey?" Stacie said, turning her big brown eyes onto him. "Is that true?"

The con man finally tore his hateful gaze from Rex to look at Stacie. Mickey noticed that there was a bruise forming on her cheek that hadn't been there when he came here. Her hair was tangled and slightly messed up and her skin was pale and washed out. Mickey could see the fear in her eyes and he wanted so much to tell her that it wasn't true; but he couldn't.

He slowly nodded. "Yes." He said, "But it's not what you think."

"Isn't it?" Rex interpreted. Mickey turned back to him, the burning hatred flaring again.

"No, it's not." He ground out. "I didn't just murder him. There was a reason."

"You can not justify murder!" Rex shouted.

"He killed Daniel!" He roared back, tears forming at the thought of his dead lover. "He shot my Soumate and killed him, and I had to lie there bleeding to death with only his cold body to keep me company." The tears now silently made their way down his cheeks at the memory. "He tore my life apart that day."

"And you tore mine!" Rex snarled, his eyes like hard chips of obsidian, "You killed my father right in front of me!"

"I didn't know you were there! You weren't supposed to be there at all!"

"But I was and I had to witness something that no child should ever have to witness."

"I'm sorry," Mickey said, refusing to back down.

"Sorry for killing my father?"

Mickey looked him in the eye. "No, I'm sorry you had to see it."

The crack of the slap echoed around the silent bar. Rex towered over Mickey's prone form; his eyes wild and his nostrils flared, poised and ready to do some damage. Mickey slowly brought his head back to it's original position; the side of his face on fire from the slap Rex has given him. It wasn't first and it certainly wont be the last slap he'll receive, but my god did it sting!

"You're going to pay, Callahan," The man ground out, "Right here and right now."

The olive-skinned man reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun from a holster that was strapped securely to his waist. He stalked around Mickey's chair, finally stopping directly behind it. Pushed the cold muzzle of the gun into Mickey's temple hard enough to leave an impression.

"It wont kill me." The dark con man said calmly. He heard a snort from behind him, and Rex bent over until his face was level with the back of Mickey's head; his breath ghosting over his ear.

"Then it's a good thing this bullet isn't for you, isn't it." The low crazed voice said.

Mickey frowned at the words, "What?"

Rex didn't answer. He took the gun away from Mickey's head and stood once again. Mickey heard him cock it, and slow realisation creeped up on him. If his heart was capable of it, it would be beating out of his chest at that moment.

"No." Mickey whispered, his eyes wide and focused on the one person who was sat in front of him. "Please, no!"

"I'm going to make you hurt like you hurt me all those years ago." Rex said smugly, "And there wont be a single mark on you."

"NO!" Mickey screamed, struggling against the bonds that tied him to the chair. He watched Danny's eyes grow wide and jerk his head from side to side in a quick shake, also trying to get free from the ties.

And then the shot rang out, the sound barely masked by Mickey's screams.


End file.
